Which of the following best describes the cause of myositis?

• A. Infection
• B. Infection or inflammation
• C. Inflammation
• D. Autoimmune

Answer: (B)

Myositis is inflammation of muscle, and that inflammation can come from different pathways. Infections can directly involve muscle or trigger an inflammatory response that damages muscle fibers. At the same time, autoimmune and other inflammatory processes can drive muscle inflammation as well. Because myositis can arise from infectious triggers or from inflammatory (often autoimmune) processes, describing its causes as infection or inflammation best captures the range of possibilities. The other options are too narrow: infection alone misses autoimmune/inflammatory pathways, inflammation alone doesn’t specify that infections can initiate it, and autoimmune focuses on one mechanism without recognizing infectious triggers.