PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Behan, W M
AU  - Aitchison, M
AU  - Behan, P O
TI  - Pathogenesis of heart block in a fatal case of dermatomyositis.
AID  - 10.1136/hrt.56.5.479
DP  - 1986 Nov 01
TA  - British Heart Journal
PG  - 479--482
VI  - 56
IP  - 5
4099  - http://heart.bmj.com/content/56/5/479.short
4100  - http://heart.bmj.com/content/56/5/479.full
SO  - Heart1986 Nov 01; 56
AB  - Approximately 70% of patients with dermatomyositis have evidence of cardiac damage; in one third of cases this affects principally or solely the conduction tissue. In infants similar histological lesions have been associated with a maternal autoantibody, anti-Ro, that crosses the placenta and produces congenital heart block. Anti-Ro antibody was detected in a fatal case of dermatomyositis with lesions of the conduction system.