Abstract
We describe a 51-year old female patient with amyopathic dermatomyositis complicated by interstitial pneumonia and pneumomediastinum and successfully controlled by steroid therapy. She had been suffering from amyopathic dermatomyositis associated with Sjögren syndrome and autoimmune hepatitis and was hospitalized because of exertional dyspnea due to interstitial pneumonia. The pneumonia improved immediately after the pulse administration of a large amount of methylpredonisolone, but pneumomediastinum then developed. It disappeared after 4 months rest and the administration of 40 mg/day of oral prednisolone. Although pneumomedastinum associated with dermatomyositis usually has a poor prognosis, she has been in remission with a maintenance dose of 10 mg/day of oral predonisolone.
