MRI for the demonstration of subclinical muscle involvement in muscular dystrophy

MRI of Lower Limb Muscle in Patients with 4q35-linked Facio-Scapulo-Limb, Type 2 (the Same as a Facioscapuloperoneal or a FSHD1) Autosomal Dominant Muscular Dystrophy

“…These data confirmed the opinion of some authors that "MR sensitivity is higher than clinical examination in detecting the involvement of individual muscles" [11] and "the MRI may disclose muscle involvement in FSHD that is not apparent on manual muscle testing" [12] and "50% of movements assessed as normal on clinical examination associated with muscle abnormalities on MRI" [13].…”

“…As well a hyperintensity signal due to muscular edema and/or inflammation was visible in two symptomatic patients with FSHD on the TIRM MR image in the soleus lateralis and soleus medialis muscles [14]. It is believed that the muscle MRI study in T2W imaging may find some abnormalities due to increased water in muscle (myoedema) in patients with different myopathies on the early stage and in Pr patients before clinical muscle weakness connected with fatty degeneration [9,13,28,29].…”

“…In the recent years, several studies have reported the value of MRI in identifying patterns of muscle involvement in different types of muscular dystrophy [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] including the FSHD one [11][12][13][14]. In opinion of these authors [11][12][13][14] the muscle MRI examination is a powerful tool in the evaluation FSHD patients and may be helpful in clinical trials for the FSHD.…”

“…In opinion of these authors [11][12][13][14] the muscle MRI examination is a powerful tool in the evaluation FSHD patients and may be helpful in clinical trials for the FSHD.…”

Diffusion tensor imaging in evaluation of thigh muscles in patients with polymyositis and dermatomyositis

“…[4][5][6] Using traditional sequences, MRI is able to detect muscle oedema and fat infiltration/fatty replacement in muscles, with high spatial resolution and superior soft-tissue contrast compared with other imaging modalities. [7][8][9] However, conventional MR techniques, such as T 2 weighted imaging and short tau inversion recovery, are limited to providing qualitative information, as opposed to quantitative information, which is important for the early detection of inflammatory changes in these diseases. The findings of PM/DM on traditional MRI images are non-specific, making it difficult to distinguish PM/DM from other myopathies on MRI.…”