Skeletal muscle disease: patterns of MRI appearances

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Neurology
• Pathology

Background:

• Muscle biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosing myopathy.
• Clinical presentation and systemic manifestations suggest muscle disease.
• MRI is valuable for assessing muscle pathology when clinical diagnosis is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and illustrate MRI appearances in various primary and systemic muscle disorders.
• To provide radiologists and clinicians with a guide to myopathy diagnosis using MRI.
• To highlight the role of MRI in identifying muscle edema, fatty infiltration, and mass lesions.

Main Methods:

• Review of MRI findings in common and uncommon myopathies.
• Correlation of MRI features with clinical and laboratory data.
• Integration of electromyography findings for comprehensive diagnosis.

Main Results:

• Abnormal MRI signal intensity can indicate infectious, inflammatory, traumatic, neurological, neoplastic, or iatrogenic conditions.
• Muscle signal alterations typically present as edema, fatty infiltration, or mass lesions.
• Distinct MRI patterns aid in differentiating various myopathies.

Conclusions:

• MRI is an essential tool for diagnosing myopathies, complementing clinical and biopsy findings.
• Accurate MRI interpretation, combined with other diagnostic methods, is crucial for appropriate medical or surgical management.
• This review offers a guide to the spectrum of MRI findings in muscle disorders.