For prevention of dermatomyositis (muscle inflammation with skin involvement), attention must be paid to reducing individual risk factors.
If autoimmune disposition is present, the following provoking factors (triggers) may be considered:
- Muscle strain
- Viral infections (coxsackie, picorna viruses).
- Medications (rare):
- Allopurinol (urostatic drug/for treatment of elevated uric acid levels).
- Antimalarials such as chloroquine
- D-penicillamine (antibiotic)
- Interferon alpha (antiviral and antitumor effects).
- Procainamide (local anesthetic)
- Simvastatin (statins; lipid-lowering drugs)
- If necessary, others, see under differential diagnoses / drugs.
- UV irradiation
