Nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC) is useful in the evaluation of connective tissue diseases. There are few capillaroscopy examinations in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) using the 2017 European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology (EULAR/ACR) classification. We evaluated the clinical, laboratory, and NFC in patients with IIMs using 2 classifications.

In this cross-sectional study, 150 patients with IIMs were selected based on the EULAR/ACR classification and the Troyanov and Senécal classification. Nailfold capillaroscopy, laboratory tests, clinical manifestations, and disease activity were evaluated.

The subgroups were as follows: 81 patient with dermatomyositis (DM), 25 with amyopathic dermatomyositis (ADM), 25 with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), 19 with polymyositis (PM),53 with pure DM, 11 with pure PM, and 51 with overlap myositis (OM). Eight (42%) patients with PM and 28 (34.5%) patients with DM were categorized as OM. The scleroderma pattern was the dominant capillaroscopy pattern in the DM (72.8%), JDM (72%), ADM (76%), pure DM (75.4%), and OM (78.4%) subgroups, respectively. In the DM, ADM, JDM, and OM subgroups, scleroderma pattern had an association with high skin Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score ( < 0.05). In OM patients, the association between scleroderma pattern and high global VAS was also detected ( < 0.05).

The scleroderma pattern was the dominant capillaroscopy pattern in all groups except for PM and pure PM. Some of patients with PM could be categorized as OM. In the DM and pure DM subgroups, there was a significant association between global and skin activity and higher NFC score. Adding the NFC to the classification of IIM is probably helpful in more detailed classifications.