Introduction

• Disseminated idiopathic myofasciitis (DIM) is described as a pyogranulomatous inflammatory involvement of cardiac and skeletal muscles.
• Cause: no specific cause has been found.
• Signs: rapid onset of fever, lethargy, depression, inappetence, recumbency with apparent pain in the back legs.
• Diagnosis: hematology/serum chemistries, radiography, muscle biopsy, histology.
• Treatment: supportive care, NSAIDs, antibiotics,
• Prognosis: poor.

Pathogenesis

Etiology

• No etilogic agent has been found.
• The common denominator may have been vaccinated with at least one dose of a distemper vaccine (Fervac-D) which is no longer on the market. Recently, ferrets have been presented with this, of which they have been vaccinated with the following:
  • Purevax (Merial, Athens, GA) and/or Nobivac^® Puppy-DPv (Merck & Co Inc, Whitehouse Station, NJ).
  • Galaxy-D (Schering Plough, Omaha, NE).
• It is unknown if vaccination history is linked at all with development.
• Histologic lesions point to an autoimmune inflammatory process which is the working hypothesis for this disease at this time.

Diagnosis

Treatment

Outcomes