HIGH-DOSE INTRAVENOUS GAMMA-GLOBULIN THERAPY IN JUVENILE DERMATOMYOSITIS

In the last few years high-dose intravenous therapy with gamma-globulin in juvenile dermatomyositis with steroid resistant myopathy has been discussed as an alternative to cytostatic therapy. The 12-year-old Filipinogirl suffered from dermatomyositis with pronounced weakness of the limbs and masticatory muscles; creatinine-kinase was increased 22-fold. After 5 weeks of therapy with prednisolone (1.5 mg/kg body/ weight/daily), the creatinine kinase decreased to sixfold of its standard value; the muscular weakness, however, progressed to almost complete paralysis of the scapular abductors and rotators and the coxofemoral flectors and rotators. Additional therapy with gammaglobulin at a dose of 1 g/kg body weight on two consecutive days at 4-week intervals led to complete restoration of muscular strength, normalization of muscle enzymes, and stabilization of these results after 12 courses of gammaglobulin and discontinuation of the steroid medication after 8 courses. This observation suggests that high-dose intravenous application of gammaglobulin represents an efficient therapy with minimal side effects in steroid-resistant juvenile dermatomyositis.