Inflammatory myopathies are the result of infiltration of inflammatory cells into striated muscle, with or without an association to an underlying etiology. Two broad classifications are idiopathic inflammatory myopathies and secondary inflammatory myopathies associated with other diseases. Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies can either focally affect head and/or neck muscles, or be more diffuse. Immunosuppressive therapy is the key to successful treatment. Protozoal parasitic myopathies are the most common cause of clinically relevant secondary inflammatory myopathies. The degree of systemic involvement is often the limiting factor to successful treatment.