Picornavirus-like Structures in Acute Dermatomyositis

Abstract

Ben-Bassat, M., and Machtey, I: Picornavirus-like structures in acute dermatomyositis. Am. J. Clin. Pathol. 58: 245–249, 1972. A case of acute fatal dermatomyositis occurring in a young girl is described. Clinically, there was pronounced involvement of the striated muscles, skin, and brain. The patient died 11 weeks after acute symptoms began. Histologically, there was a marked myositis, with atrophy of muscle fibers, myolysis, and mononuclear infiltrates. Examination with the electron microscope revealed many intracytoplasmic crystal-like structures which closely resembled some of the picornaviruses. This finding may be a further contribution to the concept of the viral etiology of connective tissue diseases.