Photoacoustic/Ultrasound Imaging in Patients of Dermatomyositis With Calcinosis Cutis: Characteristic Findings and Treatment Response Evaluation

Launched by PEKING UNION MEDICAL COLLEGE HOSPITAL · Jun 16, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a new, non-invasive imaging technique called photoacoustic and ultrasound (PA/US) imaging to better understand and monitor skin problems in people with dermatomyositis, a rare inflammatory muscle disease that can cause skin damage and hard calcium deposits called calcinosis cutis. The goal is to see if this imaging method can accurately show how severe the skin symptoms are and if it can help doctors track how well treatments are working over time.

People who may be eligible for this study are adults diagnosed with dermatomyositis according to specific medical criteria, especially those who have visible calcium deposits in their skin. Participants will have PA/US imaging scans before starting treatment and then at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months afterward. These scans are painless and help doctors see changes in the skin without needing a biopsy. The study hopes this new imaging tool will improve how doctors assess the disease and adjust treatments to help patients better.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • All patients fulfilled the 2017 EULAR/ACR classification criteria for idiopathic inflammatory myositis. Of the adult DM patients enrolled, those were found to have calcinosis and were subsequently included in our analysis.
• • Among enrollees with idiopathic inflammatory myositis, patients with pathognomonic skin rashes were subclassified as DM or amyopathic DM patients based on the 2017 EULAR/ACR classification tree.
• • For patients without pathognomonic skin manifestations, DM was defined according to muscle biopsy.
• • Patients with amyopathic DM were grouped with DM patients.
• • Calcinosis diagnosis was based on clinical examination findings.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Patients whose age at disease onset was \<18 years and those with overlap syndrome and/or IBM were excluded.