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Updated: Jul 6, 2026
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Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Skeletal Muscle Disease
Published on: December 18, 2016
MRI appearance of muscle denervation
S Kamath1, N Venkatanarasimha, M A Walsh
1Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XW, UK. kamathsridhar@yahoo.com
Skeletal Radiology
|March 25, 2008
Summary
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) aids in diagnosing muscle denervation and its causes. MRI shows distinct signal patterns in acute, subacute, and chronic muscle denervation, offering advantages over electromyography.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Neurology
- Musculoskeletal Imaging
Background:
- Muscle denervation stems from diverse causes like trauma, neoplasia, and autoimmune disorders.
- Traditional diagnosis relies on clinical examination and electromyography (EMG).
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) presents a valuable tool for diagnosing muscle denervation and identifying its etiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearance of denervated muscle.
- To emphasize MRI signal intensity patterns in acute and subacute muscle denervation.
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on MRI findings in muscle denervation.
- Analysis of signal intensity patterns on different MRI sequences (fluid-sensitive and T1-weighted).
Main Results:
- Acute and subacute denervation: High signal intensity on fluid-sensitive sequences, normal on T1-weighted images.
- Chronic denervation: Muscle atrophy and fatty infiltration show high signal on T1-weighted sequences.
- MRI reveals characteristic patterns correlating with denervation stage.
Conclusions:
- MRI offers diagnostic and etiological insights into muscle denervation.
- MRI signal characteristics are crucial for differentiating denervation stages.
- MRI enhances the diagnostic approach to muscle denervation compared to traditional methods.
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