Glucocorticoids for more than one year

Beyond its typical muscular and skin manifestations, dermatomyositis (DM), as a chronic systemic autoimmune myopathy, can cause serious systemic complications. Pulmonary and cardiac involvement, including interstitial lung disease and myocarditis, can be life-threatening. Researchers have now found that glucocorticoids, in particular, are often administered in excessive doses and for too long.