[Real time sonographic imaging of fasciculation]

We studied the clinical value of real time sonographic imaging of fasciculation in patients with neuromuscular diseases, which presented for 4 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), 2 with Kennedy-Alter-Sung syndrome, 1 with Kugelberg-Welander disease, and 1 with n-hexane neuropathy. The ultrasound image of fasciculation showed characteristic of each disease in several features. Analysis of sonographic image revealed that duration, size of fasciculation, and interval of fasciculation in Kennedy-Alter-Sung syndrome and Kugelberg-Welander disease, which is chronic progressive neuromuscular disorders, were longer than that in ALS, n-hexane neuropathy which are acute progressive disorders. We believe the fasciculation image may have significant implications with clinical course. Real time sonography offers a quantitative and qualitative means of investigating fasciculation and is effective to identify pathological information.