Polymyositis

Phonetic exercise: chronic [‘krnik], inflammatory [in’flæmətəri], myopathy [mai’pəθi], early [‘ə:li], fatigue [fə‘ti:g], autoimmune [,təui’mju:n], kinase [’kineis], electromyography [,ilektro‘maiogrəfi], biopsy [‘baiəpsi], characterized [‘kærəktəraizd], evaluation [i,vælju’ei∫n], epidemiology [‘epi,di:mi’ləd3i]

Make a report on polymyositis according to the plan below:

Definition: a type of chronic inflammatory myopathy, 'many muscle’ inflammation.

Symptoms, signs, clinical manifestations, clinical features: bilateral proximal muscle weakness often noted in the upper legs, early fatigue while walking, progressive weakness, etc.

Risk groups: The disease strikes females with greater frequency than males.

Causes: unknown; possible causes: autoimmune factors, genetics, and perhaps viruses.

Evaluation:

History: a personal medical history, a family history, a medication history, an occupational history, an environmental history, a surgical history, etc.

Physical examination: observation and palpation.

Instrumental evaluation: creatine kinase, electromyography, and muscle biopsy, etc.

Treatment: high-dose steroids, specialized exercise therapy, etc.

Myasthenia gravis

Phonetic exercise: myasthenia [,maiæs’θi:niə], evaluation [i,vælju’ei∫n], fatigue [fə‘ti:g], facial [‘fei∫əl], control [kən’troul], limb [lim], swallowing [‘swləuiŋ], noticeabl [‘nəutisəbl], upward [‘Λpwəd], spirometry [,spaiə‘rmitri]

Make a report on myasthenia gravis according to the plan below:

Definition: an autoimmune neuromuscular disease leading to fluctuating muscle weakness and fatiguability.

Affected organs: eye muscles, eyelid muscles, facial muscles, muscles that control breathing, neck muscles, limb muscles, etc.

Symptoms, signs, clinical manifestations, clinical features: fatiguability, the most noticeable symptoms: weakness of the eye muscles, difficulty in swallowing, slurred, drooping of one or both eyelids; other symptoms: double vision, unstable or waddling gait, weakness in arms, hands, fingers, legs, and neck, a change in facial expression, etc.

Evaluation:

Physical examination:

• looking upward and sidewards for 30 seconds: ptosis and diplopia.

• looking at the feet while lying on the back for 60 seconds

• keeping the arms stretched forward for 60 seconds

• 10 deep knee bends

• walking 30 steps on both the toes and the heels

• 5 situps, lying down and sitting up completely

Instrumental evaluation: blood tests, X-ray, CT, MRI, pulmonary function tests, spirometry, muscle biopsy, etc.

Treatment: medications: acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and immunosuppressive drugs; plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG), surgery: thymectomy, etc.

Medical humor

So this man was helping his best friend move to a new house. He groaned as he helped a large couch. “Look,” his friend said helpfully, “at least you are developing your muscles.”

“Yeah,” replied the friend, wryly, “either that or a hernia.”