Skeletal Muscle Edema in Muscular Dystrophy: Clinical and Diagnostic Implications

Poliachik, Sandra L.; Friedman, Seth D.; Carter, Gregory T.; Parnell, Shawn E.; Shaw, Dennis W.

doi:10.1016/j.pmr.2011.11.016

« Previous Next »Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America
Volume 23, Issue 1 , Pages 107-122, February 2012

Skeletal Muscle Edema in Muscular Dystrophy: Clinical and Diagnostic Implications

Sandra L. Poliachik, PhD
- Department of Radiology, Seattle Children's Hospital, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, L-shaped Room, R-5417, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Seattle Children's Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Seattle Children's Hospital, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, L-shaped Room, R-5417, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Corresponding author. Department of Radiology, Seattle Children's Hospital, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, L-shaped Room, R-5417, Seattle, WA 98105.
Seth D. Friedman, PhD
- Department of Radiology, Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA
Gregory T. Carter, MD, MS
- Muscular Dystrophy Association, Regional Neuromuscular Center, 410 Providence Lane, Building 2, Olympia, WA 98506, USA
Shawn E. Parnell, MD
- Department of Radiology, Seattle Children's Hospital, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, L-shaped Room, R-5417, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Seattle Children's Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Seattle Children's Hospital, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, L-shaped Room, R-5417, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
Dennis W. Shaw, MD
- Department of Radiology, Seattle Children's Hospital, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, L-shaped Room, R-5417, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Seattle Children's Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Seattle Children's Hospital, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, L-shaped Room, R-5417, Seattle, WA 98105, USA

published online 16 December 2011.

Muscle degeneration in muscular dystrophies often includes a period of edema before fatty replacement of muscle tissue. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used successfully to characterize muscle and fat patterns in several types of muscular dystrophies. Recent MRI techniques enable characterization of edema in tissues. This article reviews the advantages of using MRI assessment of edema and fat in muscle tissue to evaluate disease progression, and discusses inflammation and sarcolemma compromise as sources of edema in muscular dystrophy. Lastly, refining current techniques and adapting other MRI capabilities may enhance detection and assessment of edema for better evaluation of disease progression and treatment outcomes.

Keywords: Muscular dystrophy, MRI, Myoedema, Neuromuscular disease