There have been few reports on a pharyngoesophageal diverticulum in dermatomyositis patients. This report concerns a young woman suffered from dermatomyositis, and resulting in dysphagia. Although dysphagia is a common manifestation of inflammatory myopathy, it was associated with a pharyngoesophageal (Zenker's) diverticulum in this case. The videoflouroscopic study showed a diverticulum of the pharyngoesophageal junction. Esophagography confirmed a complicated Zenker's diverticulum that was a tubular mucosal pouch with poor distensibility and mucosal irregularity on left posterolateral aspect of the pharyngoesophageal junction. After 4 months, dysphagia improved and pharyngoesophageal diverticulum disappeared on esophagography and neck computed tomography. To our knowledge, there has been no report of a pharyngoesophageal diverticulum in a dermatomyositis patient with dysphagia in Korea. We report clinical and laboratory findings of our case and review association with a pharyngoesophageal diverticulum and dermatomyositis. (J Korean Acad Rehab Med 2009; 33: 369-372)

Dermatomyositis(DM) is the classic example of an inflammatory disease that has both cutaneous and systemic manifestations. An association with pregnancy is very uncommon. Glickman described the first case of DM associated with pregnancy in 1958. Since then a few reports of DM cases associated with pregnancy were published. This is the report of a female patient who had a previously established diagnosis of DM, and then became pregnant during the remission stage of DM. The DM recurred in 33 week of gestation. Because a Pregnancy it involves alterations in the immune responses of the patients, it may lead to a recrudescence or aggrevation of DM. The pregnancy should be considered a high risk for a recrudescence and aggrevation of DM. Careful monitoring of DM patients and with pregnancy should be warranted.