Best poster award for a study developed within the scope of the consultation of autoimmune diseases at the ULS do Nordeste
The study carried out at the Internal Medicine Service of the Local Health Unit of the Northeast - Bragança Hospital Unit, within the scope of the Autoimmune Diseases consultation, was distinguished with the Best Poster award at the VIII National Congress of Autoimmunity.
The work “Characterization of Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies in the Autoimmune Diseases Consultation – Retrospective Study”, whose first author is Dr. Sandra Raquel Sousa, Internal Medicine Internal Medicine at the Bragança Hospital Unit, was featured at the aforementioned scientific event, which took place from June 21st to 25th, in Vila Nova de Gaia.
This important work was carried out with the crucial support of the medical team responsible for the consultation of Autoimmune Diseases at the Bragança Hospital Unit, which is part of the Internal Medicine Service, namely Dr. Elisabete Pinelo and Dr. Cátia Pereira. The team jointly built a global assessment of the group of patients followed in consultation, diagnosed with Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy.
Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies are a heterogeneous group of rare autoimmune diseases, which affect more women than men, and have a multiorganic involvement, namely cutaneous, pulmonary, cardiac, renal, gastrointestinal, joint, among others, causing significant morbidity and reduction. life expectancy, and therefore an early diagnosis is essential.
The work analyzed 700 patients followed up in an Autoimmune Diseases consultation at the Bragança Hospital Unit, between 2011 and 2022, and 27 patients were identified with a diagnosis of Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy. The objective was to carry out a retrospective and detailed analysis of these patients, namely the epidemiological data, clinical manifestations, analytical alterations and immunological staining, and to correlate these data with the evolution and prognosis of the disease.
It was concluded that the results of this work are in line with what is described in the literature, namely that these diseases affect women more, with evidence of elevation of muscle enzymes and systemic inflammation and with a high prevalence of multiorgan disease. The relationship between the presence of specific autoantibodies and multiorgan involvement is also highlighted, with emphasis on Rapidly Progressive Interstitial Lung Disease, with a poor prognosis and, sometimes, with a fatal outcome.
With this work, it was also intended to raise awareness among medical teams about the main clinical and analytical manifestations, in order to guide, at an early stage, patients with suspected Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy to a specialized consultation in Autoimmune Diseases, in order to carry out, with speed, a directed study and to establish an orientation and follow-up plan, avoiding the evolution of the disease and the early multiorganic attainment.
It should also be noted that Internal Medicine is a fundamental specialty due to the need for a detailed and close monitoring of these patients, given that it is not always possible to carry out the diagnosis in a first contact, and it may take years to manifest itself or to show immunological staining.