Beyond mean value analysis - a voxel-based analysis of the quantitative MR biomarker water T in the presence of fatty infiltration in skeletal muscle tissue of patients with neuromuscular diseases.

The main pathologies in the muscles of patients with neuromuscular diseases (NMD) are fatty infiltration and edema. Recently, quantitative magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for determination of the MR biomarkers proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and water T (T ) has been advanced. Biophysical effects or pathology can have different effects on MR biomarkers.

Quantitative Muscle MRI in Patients with Neuromuscular Diseases-Association of Muscle Proton Density Fat Fraction with Semi-Quantitative Grading of Fatty Infiltration and Muscle Strength at the Thigh Region.

(1) Background and Purpose: The skeletal muscles of patients suffering from neuromuscular diseases (NMD) are affected by atrophy, hypertrophy, fatty infiltration, and edematous changes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an important tool for diagnosis and monitoring. Concerning fatty infiltration, T-weighted or T-weighted DIXON turbo spin echo (TSE) sequences enable a qualitative assessment of muscle involvement.

Regional variation of thigh muscle fat infiltration in patients with neuromuscular diseases compared to healthy controls.

Background: Chemical shift encoding-based water-fat magnetic resonance imaging (CSE-MRI) measures a quantitative biomarker: the proton density fat fraction (PDFF). The aim was to assess regional and proximo-distal PDFF variations at the thigh in patients with myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2), limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2A (LGMD2A), and late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) as compared to healthy controls.

Methods: Seven patients (n=2 DM2, n=2 LGMD2A, n=3 LOPD) and 20 controls were recruited.

Regional variation in paraspinal muscle composition using chemical shift encoding-based water-fat MRI.

Background: Paraspinal musculature forms one of the largest muscle compartments of the human body, but evidence for regional variation of its composition and dependency on gender or body mass index (BMI) is scarce.

Methods: This study applied six-echo chemical shift encoding-based water-fat magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3 Tesla in 76 subjects (24 males and 52 females, age: 40.0±13.