POLYMYOSITIS, A CAUSE OF ISOLATED PHARYNG EAL DYSPHAGIA

We report the case of a 70 year-old woman admitted for pharyngeal dysp hagia. The diagnosis of polymyositis was made on manometry and histopa thological neuromuscular biopsy findings. There were no inflammatory s yndrome, muscular enzyme increase or electromyographic abnormalities. The patient was initially treated by prednisone (1 mg/kg/d) with succe ss, but relapsed 12 weeks later and then was put on azathioprine (2 mg /kg/d). Pharyngeal dysphagia can be the only clinical manifestation of polymyositis, usually a systemic disease.