Anti-Ro52/Anti-nuclear Matrix Protein 2 Positive Clinically Amyopathic Dermatomyositis Presented Only With Interstitial Lung Disease

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 15; no. 7
• Main Authors: Skrimizeas, Stratos, Dimeas, Ilias E, Dimeas, George, Tzouvelekis, Argyrios, Daniil, Zoe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Palo Alto Cureus Inc 19-07-2023; Cureus
• Subjects: Blood; COVID-19; Dermatology; Genotype & phenotype; Immunology; Infections; Kinases; Lavage; Lung diseases; Patients; Pneumonia; Proteins; Pulmonology; Rheumatology; RNA polymerase; Scleroderma; Steroids; Tomography; Transfer RNA; X-rays
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.42118

This report contemplates a unique case of clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) that presented as interstitial lung disease. The patient was a 55-year-old woman who showed up with progressive exercise intolerance and a dry cough without muscular or dermatological clinical manifestations. Diagnostic workup and imaging revealed the presence of interstitial lung disease, and further evaluation led to a positive autoimmune panel for anti-nuclear matrix protein 2 (anti-NXP2) and anti-Ro52 antibodies, establishing the diagnosis of anti-NXP2 plus anti-Ro52 antibodies-positive amyopathic idiopathic inflammatory dermatomyositis. The patient was started on intravenous corticosteroids. She showed improvement on her chest X-ray (CXR) and was then switched to oral corticosteroids. After six months of steroid treatment, corticosteroids were stopped, and the patient was re-evaluated one month later disease relapse.