Chest Myositis - Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Chest myositis

Chest myositis is an inflammatory process in the superficial or deep skeletal muscles of the anterior and posterior chest. The disease has a different etiology and, depending on the cause, differs in symptoms, the nature of the lesion and the severity. With a prolonged course of chest myositis, the method can lead to a gradual increase in muscle weakness and subsequently atrophy of the muscles involved in the pathological process.

Content:

• Symptoms of myositis of the chest
• Causes of myositis of the chest
• Treatment of myositis of the chest

Symptoms of myositis of the chest

The symptoms of chest myositis will primarily depend on which muscles are inflamed. If myositis affects the superficial muscles, then the patient's functions of movement of the upper limbs are disturbed, pain appears when trying to raise the arm, move the scapula up, down, to the side. Painful sensations may occur when inhaling - exhaling.

When the deep muscles of the chest are involved in the process of inflammation, the patient begins to experience serious breathing problems, since it is they who are responsible for raising and lowering the ribs, for expanding the chest during inhalation and its contraction during exhalation. The severe course of myositis of the chest without fail requires hospitalization of the patient.

In addition to pain, symptoms of chest myositis can be as follows:

• With infectious myositis, symptoms of infection (ARVI, influenza, etc.) are previously observed: the body temperature rises, appetite disappears, a runny nose appears, and weakness increases. Two days after the disappearance of the symptoms of the disease, the person begins to experience chest pains, which are most intense in the shoulders and knees. Then the back and neck muscles are involved in the process, which makes the person absolutely immobile. As a rule, the symptoms quickly disappear and after 3 days the patient returns to normal life.

• Interstitial myositis most often involves the muscles of the chest during inflammation. In this case, pains of low and medium intensity occur, with palpation it is possible to detect areas of compaction. Weakness in muscles is rare, as a rule, the functions of movement of the pectoral muscles are not impaired. If interstitial myositis is the cause of syphilis, then the patient will have hard seals or ulcers in the genital area. If the disease manifests itself due to tuberculosis, then a cough with sputum production and shortness of breath join.
• Ossifying traumatic myositis often occurs latently, it can only make itself felt a few months after a chest injury. Often a person seeks help when he discovers a hard seal in the place where the wound was previously. The closer the seal is to the surface, the more it injures the muscle and the more intense the pain will be.
• With polymyositis, the muscles of the upper and lower extremities are initially involved in the pathological process, weakness appears in them, body temperature and headache may rise. Symptoms of thoracic myositis act as additional: difficulty breathing, shortness of breath when performing physical work, while walking - all these signs appear due to weakness of the diaphragmatic muscle.

• With dermatomyositis, skin rashes that can appear on the shoulder blades, shoulders and in other places come to the fore. Then muscle weakness gradually increases, pain occurs. The pectoral muscles are involved in the process in the same way as in polymyositis.
• With parasitic myositis, the muscles of the chest suffer if it is in them that the larvae of Trichinella or cysticercus are located. Pain can periodically bother a person, although most often this process is asymptomatic.

Causes of myositis of the chest

The causes of myositis of the chest can be as follows:

• Myositis can result from a viral or bacterial infection when the pathogen enters muscle tissue. They penetrate into it from the focus of infection through the blood stream (with tuberculosis, syphilis), from the surrounding tissues (with osteomyelitis), from the external environment (with an injury, as a result of surgery, during an injection, etc.).
• Thoracic myositis can develop as a result of an injury due to dislocation of the upper limbs, with a penetrating wound of the chest, etc.

• Professional sports, the peculiarities of work activities can lead to the development of the disease. So, thoracic myositis is often observed in fencers, gymnasts, violinists, and people with sedentary work.
• Infection with trichinella, pork tapeworm, bovine tapeworm, echinococcus can lead to the parasitic form of myositis.
• The role of heredity in the transmission of such varieties of myositis as dermatomyositis and polymyositis has been proven.
• Malignant neoplasms can act as a cause of myositis, as the cells of the immune system begin to attack not only the tumor, but also the muscles.
• Hypothermia, exposure to drafts, muscle cramps - all these factors can lead to inflammation of the muscles of the sternum.
• The influence of toxic substances, both long-term and short-term, can cause inflammation in the muscles. Often toxic myositis develops as a result of alcohol and cocaine abuse. The unstable nature of the lesion is caused by the use of certain medications: colchicine, statins, alpha interferon, plaquenil, etc.

Treatment of myositis of the chest

Treatment of chest myositis is aimed at eliminating the root cause that triggered the development of the disease.

The following therapeutic measures are possible:

• Acute infectious myositis is treated with antibacterial agents: Amoxiclav, Ampicillin, Erythromycin, Azithromycin, etc. To relieve inflammation, reduce body temperature, NSAIDs are prescribed (Nurofen, Ketofen, Diclofenac, etc.). An abundant alkaline drink is shown, it is possible to set droppers with a saline solution. If suppuration joins and a phlegmon or abscess forms in the muscle, then opening the focus with its full sanitation is required.
• For the treatment of dermatomyositis and polymyositis, hormonal drugs (Prednisolone, Methylprednisolone) are used, if they do not have an effect, then they switch to taking immunosuppressants. Treatment is carried out exclusively under medical supervision.
• When ossificates are formed, conservative treatment has no effect. In the event that growths interfere with a person, cause pain and disrupt his lifestyle in general, they must be surgically removed.
• Parasitic myositis is treated with anthelmintic drugs. It can be Nemozol, Sanoksal, Vermox, Vormin, etc. At the same time, antihistamines are taken.

Professional myositis of the pectoral muscles, which is diagnosed more often than other types of thoracic myositis, is treated with physiological procedures and local therapeutic agents. Patients are recommended to undergo such physiotherapy procedures as: UHF, galvanic currents, paraffin applications. To reduce pain and relieve inflammation, warming ointments are applied, for example, Apizartron, Finalgon, Nikoflex, etc. Physiotherapy in combination with massage gives a good effect.

In the acute period of any type of thoracic myositis, bed rest is shown with a sparing diet and drinking regimen.

Author of the article: Alekseeva Maria Yurievna | Therapist

Education: From 2010 to 2016 Practitioner of the therapeutic hospital of the central medical-sanitary unit No. 21, city of elektrostal. Since 2016 she has been working in the diagnostic center No. 3.