Journal of cutaneous pathology
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Case Reports
A causal role for parvovirus B19 infection in adult dermatomyositis and other autoimmune syndromes.
Infection with parvovirus B19 (B19) has been associated with connective tissue disease (CTD) stigmata, namely, a systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-like illness, seronegative polyarthritis resembling rheumatoid arthritis, and vasculitis. The dermatopathology and pathogenetic basis of such B19-associated CTD-like syndromes have not been elucidated. ⋯ Persistent B19 infection may be of pathogenetic importance in certain prototypic CTD syndromes, to which underlying immune dysregulation associated with a blunted IgM response to viral antigen may predispose. Anti-viral therapy might be worthy of consideration since traditional immunosuppressive therapy was unsuccessful in our cases.