Muscle magnetic resonance imaging involvement patterns in nemaline myopathies

Characterise the diagnostic and prognostic value of muscle MRI patterns as biomarkers in a genetically heterogeneous nemaline myopathy (NM) patient cohort.

Modified Mercuri scoring of lower limb MRI in genetically characterised NM patients referred to the highly specialised service for congenital myopathies at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Findings were compared to clinical data and MRI patterns derived from collated published data.

Twenty-seven patients with MRI were identified (8 NEB-NM, 13 ACTA1-NM, 6 TPM3-NM). NEB-NM demonstrated sparing of the thigh. ACTA1-NM demonstrated diffuse thigh involvement, notable in the vasti, sartorius and biceps-femoris, with relative adductor and gracilis sparing. TPM3-NM demonstrated diffuse thigh involvement notable in biceps-femoris and adductor magnus with relative rectus femoris, adductor longus and gracilis sparing. In the lower leg, the soleus and tibialis anterior are notably involved in all three genotypes. NEB-NM and ACTA1-NM demonstrated relative gastrocnemii and tibialis posterior sparing, while TPM3-NM showed significantly more tibialis posterior involvement (P =< 0.05). Comparison of involvement patterns with literature datasets highlighted preferential adductor and gracilis sparing in our ACTA1-NM cohort, consistent tibialis posterior involvement in our TPM3-NM cohort and a distinct MRI pattern from those derived from other NM genotypes and congenital myopathies. Greater tibialis anterior involvement correlated with foot drop (P = 0.02). Greater tibialis anterior and extensor hallucis longus involvement correlated with worse mobility (P =< 0.04).

This is the widest NM MRI data set described to date; we describe distinct muscle involvement patterns for NEB-NM, ACTA1-NM and TPM3-NM which may have utility as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and aid in genetic variant interpretation.