ISSN:
1432-1920
Keywords:
CT-scanning
;
Muscles
;
Myopathy
;
Neurogenic disorder
;
Muscle biopsy
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Summary The value of CT-examination of the muscles compared to histology was studied in a retrospective analysis of 30 patients with clinical suspicion of neuromuscular disorder. In the evaluation of the CT-results descriptive criteria were used. The histologic diagnosis came from needle-biopsies taken from the quadriceps muscle. Considering the whole group of neuromuscular disorders, CT has an overall accuracy of 84.8%, a positive predictive value of 95.5% and a negative predictive value of 63.6%. This makes the use of CT as a diagnostic tool in neuromuscular disorders a reliable examination technique. In patients with a polymyositis there is even a 100% correlation between CT findings and biopsy results. Discrepancy between the biopsy results of the quadriceps muscle and the CT findings is remarkable: the number of abnormal histological findings is twice the number of abnormal CT findings. Using the more proximal gluteal region as a biopsy site would have decreased this discrepancy and would therefore have given a better correlation between CT and histology. The choice of protocol in determining the levels to be scanned is of great importance in achieving good reproducability in follow-up CT examinations.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00404107
