Inflammatory Myopathies

Inflammatory myopathies are a heterogeneous group of autoimmune diseases characterized by immune-mediated damage to skeletal muscle. They are classified into five major subtypes: inclusion-body myositis, immune-mediated necrotizing myopathies, antisynthetase syndrome, overlapping myositis, and dermatomyositis, each with distinct clinical features and outcomes. Inclusion-body myositis and immune-mediated necrotizing myopathies primarily affect muscle, with prognosis largely determined by functional impairment, whereas antisynthetase syndrome, overlapping myositis, and dermatomyositis are systemic diseases that can involve the skin, joints, and lungs and may be life-threatening. The majority of inflammatory myopathies are associated with myositis-specific autoantibodies, which inform diagnosis, subtype classification, and prognosis. Advances in understanding the distinct pathomechanisms underlying each subgroup now enable increasingly targeted therapeutic approaches.