Treatment:

The disease is treated with corticosteroid medications. When an improvement in muscle strength is achieved, usually in 4 to 6 weeks, the medication is slowly tapered off. Maintenance therapy with prednisone may be continued indefinitely. In people who fail to respond to corticosteroids, medications to suppress the immune system may be used.

If the condition is associated with a tumor, the condition may improve if the tumor is removed.

Expectations (prognosis):

Remission (a period when no symptoms are present) and recovery occur in many patients, especially children. For most others, immunosuppressant drugs can control the disease. In adults, death may result from severe and prolonged muscle weakness, malnutrition, pneumonia, or respiratory failure. The major causes of death are cancer (malignancy) and lung disease.

Complications:

• Associated cancer (malignancy)
• Calcium deposits in the affected muscles, especially in children with the disease
• Heart disease, lung disease, or abdominal complications

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if you have symptoms of this disorder. Seek emergency treatment if you have shortness of breath and difficulty swallowing.