Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 7, Issue 9 505-509, Copyright © 1988 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
High-frequency ultrasonography of skeletal muscle in children with neuromuscular disease
A. Lamminen, J. Jaaskelainen, J. Rapola and I. Suramo
Department of Diagnostic Surgery (Meilahti Hospital), University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
Ultrasonography of the thigh and calf was performed in 24 children who had
primary neuromuscular disease and in 20 healthy children. The ultrasound
image was clearly abnormal in all patients with progressive muscular
dystrophy, and in the majority of children with benign myopathic disorders;
the principal changes were increased muscular echogenicity and increased
attenuation of ultrasound with a reduced bone surface echo. In 13 patients,
the ultrasound findings were correlated with pathologic changes seen in
muscle biopsy specimens: a clear correlation (r = .85) was found. Muscular
dystrophies had a higher score of abnormal ultrasonographic and microscopic
findings, while the more benign muscular diseases had a lower score.
