Palpitations, Shortness of Breath, Weakness in Limbs, Edema, and Dyspnea: A Rare Inflammatory Myopathy with Positive Aniti-mitochondrial Antibodies and Cardiac Involvement

Chunsu Liang; Xuchang Zhang; Ning Zhang; Lin Kang; Xiaohong Liu; Jiaqi YU; Yingxian Liu; Lin Qiao; Yanli Yang; Xiaoyi Zhao; Ruijie Zhao; Na Niu; Xuelian Yan

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Palpitations, Shortness of Breath, Weakness in Limbs, Edema, and Dyspnea: A Rare Inflammatory Myopathy with Positive Aniti-mitochondrial Antibodies and Cardiac Involvement

VernacularTitle:心悸，气促，四肢无力，水肿，喘憋：抗线粒体抗体阳性、合并心脏受累的罕见炎性肌病
Author: Chunsu LIANG ^{1
,

2} ; Xuchang ZHANG ^{1
,

3} ; Ning ZHANG ¹ ; Lin KANG ¹ ; Xiaohong LIU ¹ ; Jiaqi YU ⁴ ; Yingxian LIU ⁵ ; Lin QIAO ⁶ ; Yanli YANG ⁷ ; Xiaoyi ZHAO ⁸ ; Ruijie ZHAO ⁹ ; Na NIU ^{1
,

10} ; Xuelian YAN ²
Author Information

1. Department of Geriatrics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
2. Department of Pharmacy, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
3. Department of Geriatrics, Longgang District People's Hospital, Shenzhen 518172, China
4. Department of Internal Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
5. Department of Cardiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
6. Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
7. Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
8. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
9. Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
10. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: idiopathic inflammatory myopathy; inflammatory myopathy associated with anti-mitochondrial antibodies; heart failure; cardiac arrhythmias; elderly patients; shared decision making
From: Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2025;16(1):248-255
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract:
This article presents a case study of a patient who visited the Geriatric Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital due to "palpitations, shortness of breath for more than 2 years, limb weakness for 6 months, edema, and nocturnal dyspnea for 2 months". The patient exhibited decreased muscle strength in the limbs and involvement of swallowing and respiratory muscles, alongside complications of heart failure and various arrhythmias which were predominantly atrial. Laboratory tests revealed the presence of multiple autoantibodies and notably anti-mitochondrial antibodies. Following a comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation, the patient was diagnosed with anti-mitochondrial antibody-associated inflammatory myopathy. Treatment involved a combination of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants, along with resistance exercises for muscle strength and rehabilitation training for lung function, resulting in significant improvement of clinical symptoms. The case underscores the importance of collaborative multidisciplinary approaches in diagnosing and treating rare diseases in elderly patients, where careful consideration of clinical manifestations and subtle abnormal clinical data can lead to effective interventions.