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Introduction: Polymyositis and dermatomyositis are classified as idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. Interstitial lung disease is rare and is described in the literature in about 10% of cases. The authors describes a case of 75 year old woman presenting with one month evolution of fever, weight loss, arthralgia, myalgia and symmetric and proximal muscle weakness of upper and lower limbs. Nonspecific interstitial changes was found in chest X -ray. After exhaustive study, the diagnosis of pulmonary involvement in the form of organizing pneumonia by polymyositis, was established. Glucocorticoids and mycophenolate were prescribed with good clinical, analytical and radiological outcome., Conclusion: In this case, it was the changes in the chest X -ray in a patient without respiratory symptomatology, that conducted to exhaustive study to polymyositis diagnosis, enhancing once again the importance of X -ray in the screening of pathologies of other systems.

Myositis ossificans progressiva (MOP) is a rare hereditary connective tissue disease, genetically inherited as an autossomal dominant trait with complete penetrance but variable expression. The onset usually takes place during childhood and progressive involvement of the spinal cord and proximal extremities leads to immobilization and articular dysfunction. We present a case of a 29-year-old woman with the typical features of MOP and review the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations and treatment options of this rare disease.

We report ten patients harbouring spinal epidural abscess, aiming to evaluate the factors that may lead to an early diagnosis and that can eventually influence the prognosis. There were seven males and 3 females, with ages comprised between 17 and 66 years. Abscesses were localised mainly in the dorsal region. The most important predisposing factors were infections or other disorders know to be related with compromise of the immunological system. Back pain with or without signs of spinal cord involvement was the most frequent clinical presentation. The pretreatment average time was 16,3 days. Staphylococcus aureus was the most commun organism isolated. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ERS) was uniformly elevated, being the most important laboratory data for the diagnosis of this situation. Diagnosis was frequently made on clinical grounds but it was always confirmed by myelography with computed tomography or magnetic resonance. All patients were submitted to surgical drainage. Two patients recovered totally, 5 partially, 2 did not recover at all and 1 died. We conclude that the prognosis is related to the surgical delay and that it depends on the identification of the predisposing factors and the recognition of a clinical picture of spinal cord involvement associated to an elevated ESR. Magnetic resonance is the most reliable imaging technique.

We have recorded three cases of Mediterranean fever harboring peripheral nerve involvement. According to the time of occurrence of the neurological symptoms, the cerebrospinal fluid analysis and electromyographic features, we admit that the peripheral nervous system can be involved in two ways in this disease. One due to the direct action of the pathogenic agent, giving place to a vasculitis. The other by an immunological mechanism originating a Guillain-Barré syndrome.