Authors:
Helene Maillard-Lefebvre, Sandrine Morell-Dubois, Marc Lambert, Hilaire Charlanne, David Launay, Eric Hachulla, Ibrahim Yakoub-Agha, Pierre-Yves Hatron
Chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) sometimes mimics autoimmune diseases. We report the case of a 39-year-old patient who presented atypical polymyositis without elevated creatinine phosphokinase, related to a chronic GVHD following interruption of immunosuppressive treatment. Treatment with cyclosporine and corticosteroids resulted in complete and sustained remission of the polymyositis. The symptoms of chronic GVHD-related polymyositis are indistinguishable from those of idiopathic polymyositis. The context of transplantation and a decrease or interruption of prophylaxis suggest the diagnosis of GVHD-related polymyositis, especially if other manifestations of GVHD are associated. A suitably adapted treatment (association of corticotherapy and cyclosporine) improves polymyositis, and in most cases, a normal clinical state is achieved even if the symptoms were severe.
WHO estimates that half of all patients worldwide are non-adherent to their prescribed medication. The consequences of poor adherence can be catastrophic, on both the individual and population level.
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
Watch Dr. Anne Marie Valente present the last year's highlights in pediatric and congenital heart disease in the official ACC.24 Year in Review session.