ABSTRACT To determine the usefulness of a method of percutaneous needle muscle biopsy in patients with suspected idiopathic inflammatory Myopathy. The yield of percutaneous needle muscle biopsy was studied in 15 patients during 1997-2000 who were hospitalized in Hazrat Rasool Akram hospital. A diagnosis of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy was confirmed histopathologically in 8 patients from 10 patients with clinical diagnosis of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy. One patient didn’t have enough sample and one of them had normal biopsy. In 4 patients with clinical diagnosis of overlap syndrome, one pathological sample was inflammatory and three others were myopathic. In one patient with clinical diagnosis of vasculitis biopsy was diagnostic. None of the patients developed hematoma, infection or prolonged pain after biopsy. Percutaneous needle muscle biopsy is a safe and convenient method with a high diagnostic yield for the pathologic confirmation of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy spescially idiopathic form. It should be considered as a primary method of acquring muscle for histopathologic examination in the evaluation of suspected idiopathic inflammatory myopathy.

Keywords: 1) Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy 2) Overlap Syndrome 3) Needle biopsy

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