Tubular aggregates: their association with myalgia

Three thousand consecutive muscle biopsies were reviewed for the presence of tubular aggregates and their association with clinical symptomatology. Tubular aggregates were detected in 19 patients (0.6%). Twelve of these nineteen patients had severe myalgia, and the most abundant tubular aggregates were found in biopsies of patients with myalgia. Seven patients had only myalgia as their clinical symptomatology with normal physical examination. An additional five patients with tubular aggregates and myalgia had concomitant amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (2) or neuropathy (3). The high incidence of myalgia associated with tubular aggregates in our patients and the fact that tubular aggregates originate from sarcoplasmic reticulum suggest a role played by this structure in the pathogenesis of myalgia.