ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the case study of a 59-year-old woman. A 59-year-old woman visited her GP as she was concerned about unexplained weight loss. Her GP noted an erythematous rash around her eyes and over the dorsum of her hands and referred her to the dermatology clinic. On direct questioning she does complain about difficulty in getting up out of a chair and climbing the stairs. She denies any other symptoms apart from a persistent dry cough. She is a life-long smoker and drinks alcohol socially. She has erythematous flattish papules over the extensor surfaces of her interphalangeal and metacarpal phalangeal joints. In the periorbital region she has a violaceous erythema with subtle oedema. There is an erythematous non-scaly macular rash affecting her neck and upper back. Neurological examination reveals proximal limb weakness. Muscle involvement is usually manifest by muscle tenderness and weakness with a proximal myopathy.
