Limb and Bulbar Skeletal Muscle MRI Characteristics in SBMA and ALS

In these motor neuron diseases, skeletal muscle MRI shows different patterns of lower-limb and bulbar involvement, and quantitative measures correlate with disease severity.

To characterize patterns of skeletal muscle involvement on MRI as a potential biomarker for spinal bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), researchers conducted a prospective, single-center, cross-sectional study. They assessed T1-weighted and short tau inversion recovery (STIR) MRI images of lower-limb and bulbar muscles with semiquantitative and quantitative measures. They included 21 patients with ALS, 21 patients with SBMA, and 16 healthy controls.

T1-weighted images showed widespread increased intramuscular fat infiltration in both the thighs and calves of SBMA patients, with the following pattern: Anterior/posterior thigh compartments were more severely affected than the medial thighs, and superficial an…

Reviewing Author

Leana Doherty, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsNeurohospitalist Society; InterACTN (Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology)

Leana Doherty, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsNeurohospitalist Society; InterACTN (Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology)

Limb and Bulbar Skeletal Muscle MRI Characteristics in SBMA and ALS

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Reviewing Author