Clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

ABSTRACT An 84-year-old Japanese woman presented to our hospital with a month-long dry cough during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. She also had skin lesions on her fingers from 3 months prior. A chest computed tomography (CT) scan showed bilateral ground- glass opacities with a subpleural distribution, similar to the findings of COVID-19. The results of COVID-19 tests were negative. The titer of the anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody was elevated. Consequently, we confirmed the diagnosis of clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) and then administered oral prednisolone combined with tacrolimus. After the treatment, her symptoms, skin lesions and CT findings were gradually resolved.