Abstract
Macrophagic myofasciitis (MMF) is an unusual inflammatory myositis condition associated with aluminum containing vaccines. It was initially reported in 1998 as a steroid-responsive disorder. Patients usually present with arthromyalgias, chronic fatigue and cognitive deficits. Most reported cases of MMF are from adult patients in Europe; however, it is reported in children as well. Pathologically the characteristic finding on muscle biopsy is the presence of histiocytes containing Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stain positive material that is ultrastructurally composed of aluminum hydroxide derived from aluminum adjuvant-containing vaccines. Serum creatine kinase level may be elevated at onset. Treatment generally involves immunosuppression and prognosis in general is good.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Gherardi RK, Coquet M, Cherin P, Authier FJ, Laforet P, Belec L, et al. Macrophagic myofasciitis: an emerging entity. Groupe d’Etudes et Recherche sur les Maladies Musculaires Acquises et Dysimmunitaires (GERMMAD) de l’Association Francaise contre les Myopathies (AFM). Lancet (London, England). 1998;352(9125):347–52.
Gherardi RK, Coquet M, Cherin P, Belec L, Moretto P, Dreyfus PA, et al. Macrophagic myofasciitis lesions assess long-term persistence of vaccine-derived aluminium hydroxide in muscle. Brain J Neurol. 2001;124(Pt 9):1821–31.
Malinin GI, Malinin TI. Rapid microscopic detection of malaria parasites permanently fluorochrome stained in blood smears with aluminum and morin. Am J Clin Pathol. 1991;95(3):424–7.
Chkheidze R, Burns DK, White CL, Castro D, Fuller J, Cai C. Morin stain detects aluminum-containing macrophages in macrophagic myofasciitis and vaccination granuloma with high sensitivity and specificity. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2017;76(4):323–31.
Rigolet M, Aouizerate J, Couette M, Ragunathan-Thangarajah N, Aoun-Sebaiti M, Gherardi RK, et al. Clinical features in patients with long-lasting macrophagic myofasciitis. Front Neurol. 2014;5:230.
Van Der Gucht A, Aoun Sebaiti M, Guedj E, Aouizerate J, Yara S, Gherardi R, et al. Brain FDG-PET metabolic abnormalities in patients with long-lasting macrophagic myofasciitis. J Nucl Med. 2017;58(3):492–8.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Castro, D.P., Cai, C., Jacob Paul, D. (2020). A 6-Year-Old Girl with Muscle Pain and Swelling in the Thighs. In: Zhou, L., Burns, D., Cai, C. (eds) A Case-Based Guide to Neuromuscular Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25682-1_23
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25682-1_23
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-25681-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-25682-1
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)