Inclusion-body myositis (IBM) is now understood to be an important degenerative muscle disease. The sporadic type (s-IBM) is probably the most common muscle disease among those ailments that strike first in adulthood (particularly people over 50). The hereditary type (h-IBM) affects younger patients. This book is devoted entirely to s-IBM and h-IBM. Contributors discuss what is understood about the basic scientific foundations of IBMs, the varied aspects of the pathology of IBMs, and the application of clinical treatments. One particular emphasis of the book is on the hereditary aspects of IBM and genetic predispositions to the disease.

Preface; Part I. Overview of Pathologic and Pathogenic Comparison Between Sporadic Inclusion-Body Myositis and Hereditary Inclusion-Body Myopathies: 1. Newest approaches to diagnosis and pathogenesis of sporadic inclusion-body myositis and hereditary inclusion-body myopathies, including molecular-pathologic similarities to Alzheimer disease; Part II. Historical Perspective: 2: Evolving concepts of inclusion-body myositis; Part III. Sporadic Inclusion-Body Myositis - Clinical and Diagnostic Considerations: 3: Sporadic inclusion-body myositis: Clinical and laboratory features and diagnostic criteria; 4: Inclusion-body myositis: natural history; 5: Uncommon clinico-pathological forms of sporadic inclusion-body myositis: Report of four cases; 6: Inclusion-body myositis: pathological changes; 7: Unusual pathological forms of inclusion-body myositis, and neuromuscular disorders with IBM-like changes; 8: Electrophysiological findings in inclusion-body myositis; 9: Genetic factors in sporadic inclusion-body myositis; Part IV. Hereditary Inclusion-Body Myopathies - Clinical and Diagnostic Considerations: 10: Hereditary inclusion-body myopathy in Jews of Persian origin: Clinical and laboratory data; 11. Hereditary inclusion-body myopathy (h-IBM) with quadriceps sparing: epidemiology and genetics; 12: Familial autosomal-recessive inclusion-body myositis with asymptomatic leukoencephalopathy; 13: Welander distal myopathy - clinical, pathophysiological, and molecular aspects; 14. Tibial muscular dystrophy - clinical, genetic, and morphological characteristics; 15. Distal myopathy with rimmed vacuoles, inclusion-body myositis and related disorders in Japan; 16. Inclusion-body myopathies; 17. Is the muscle fiber in inclusion body-myositis an antigen-presenting cell of an innocent bystander?; 18. Viruses, immunodeficiency and inclusion-body myositis; 19. Myonuclear abnormalities may play a central role in the pathogenesis of muscle fiber damage in inclusion-body myositis; 20. Nuclear degeneration and rimmed vacuole formation in neuromuscular disorders; 21. Mitochondrial alterations in sporadic inclusion-body myositis; 22. mtDNA analysis in muscle of patients with sporadic inclusion-body myopathy; Part V. Treatment: 23. Evaluation of treatment for sporadic inclusion-body myositis; 24. Personal experience in treating sporadic inclusion-body myositis; Subject index.