[Technic for computed tomographic study of skeletal muscles in neuromuscular diseases]

Computed tomography provides a complete view of morphological alterations in skeletal muscle caused by neuromuscular diseases. A good image quality of the lower as well as of the upper limbs is obtained by choosing a small scanning-field and an appropriate scanning-position. The arms are best examined one by one. In follow-up studies muscular atrophy can be documented by planimetric and densimetric measurements. Furthermore CT-scanning is a convenient method for selecting suitable muscles for muscle biopsy.