[A case of progressive hemiatrophy with type 2 muscle atrophy in muscle biopsy]

We reported a case of progressive hemiatrophy, whose skeletal muscle biopsy revealed type 2 fiber atrophy. This patient, a 40-year-old woman, noticed left leg atrophy at the age of 39. She had a history of minor trauma of the left thigh at the age of 30. On admission, physical examination revealed atrophy of various parts of her left side of body, predominantly in the left leg. There was no dermatological or neurological abnormalities except these atrophies. Hematological and biochemical examinations were normal. EEG, EMG, nerve conduction studies and autonomic function tests were normal in either side of the body. MRI study showed reduced muscle bulk as well as subcutaneous fatty tissue especially in her left leg. Skeletal muscle biopsy of her left quadriceps femoris muscle revealed type 2 fiber atrophy and type 1 fiber predominance. However, no abnormality was found in the intramuscular nerves. We considered that type 2 muscle fiber atrophy was one of the cause of atrophy of this case.