Question:

Perifascicular atrophy of muscle fibres is seen in?

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Capillary microangiopathy wastes the fibres at the fascicle edge.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
  • Steroid myopathy
  • Dermatomyositis
  • Inclusion body myositis
  • Nemaline myopathy
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Perifascicular atrophy is the classic and near-pathognomonic muscle biopsy finding of dermatomyositis, an inflammatory connective-tissue myopathy affecting muscle and skin.

Step 2: The mechanism is a humoral, complement-mediated microangiopathy. Damage to the capillaries at the edge of the muscle fascicle causes ischemia of the fibres at the periphery, so atrophy is greatest in the perifascicular zone. Biopsy also shows a perivascular B-cell and T-cell inflammatory infiltrate. It is associated with anti-Jo-1 antibody.

Step 3: Why the others are wrong - steroid myopathy shows selective type II fibre atrophy without inflammation. Inclusion body myositis shows rimmed vacuoles and endomysial inflammation. Nemaline myopathy shows subsarcolemmal nemaline rods on Gomori trichrome stain.

Answer: Dermatomyositis.
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