Asan Medical Center celebrates three years of inflammatory myositis clinic

Asan Medical Center has marked the third anniversary of its Integrated Inflammatory Myositis Clinic. Inflammatory myositis is a rare disease affecting 2 to 4 per 100,000 people, characterized by muscle inflammation that causes weakness and can affect various organs, including the skin, lungs, joints, and heart.

Because symptoms vary significantly between patients and can mimic other neuromuscular diseases, the clinic utilizes a multidisciplinary approach. Medical teams from rheumatology, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, pathology, radiology, pulmonology, and plastic surgery collaborate to provide precise diagnoses using electromyography, muscle MRI, autoantibody testing, and muscle biopsies.

Since its inception in October 2023, the clinic has treated over 50 patients, offering personalized immunosuppressive therapy, rehabilitation, and management of complications such as interstitial lung disease. Additionally, the center is conducting multi-center research to discover biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease through a project with the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.