Dermatomyositis — SCE Dermatology MCQ

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HardConnective Tissue & VasculitisDermatomyositisSCE Dermatology

A 45-year-old woman with dermatomyositis has poikiloderma (mottled hypo/hyperpigmentation, telangiectasia, and epidermal atrophy) on her upper chest and back. What is the specific term for this DM-associated poikilodermatous eruption?

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Correct answer: D — Shawl sign

The best answer is “Shawl sign”. Dermatomyositis combines characteristic cutaneous signs with inflammatory myopathy; antibody phenotype helps estimate malignancy and interstitial-lung-disease risk but must be interpreted with the clinical picture. The alternatives “V sign”, “Holster sign”, “Gottron sign”, “Mechanic hands” are clinically adjacent possibilities, but they do not fit the defining morphology, distribution, histopathology, risk signal or management sequence in this stem.

Reference: BAD dermatomyositis information: https://www.bad.org.uk/pils/dermatomyositis