[Mechanism to induce scoliosis in Duchenne muscular dystrophy--a study of paraspinal muscle by X-ray computed tomography].
We studied mechanism to induce scoliosis in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) by use of X-ray computed tomography (CT) of paraspinal muscles. CT examination of paraspinal muscles was performed on 15 DMD patients at the following six levels; 1. Th3 vertebrae (upper thoracic spine level) 2. Th6 vertebrate (middle thoracic spine level) 3. Th10 vertebrae (lower thoracic spine level) 4. L1 vertebrae (upper lumbar spine level) 5. L3 vertebrae (middle lumbar spine level) 6. L5 vertebrae (lower lumbar spine level). We evaluated the degeneration of paraspinal muscle by a decrease in radio-density of the muscle which indicates infiltration of fatty tissue. The degeneration of the lateral portion of paraspinal muscle was more marked than that of the medial portion. The muscle was most severely affected at the middle lumbar spine level, showing a tendency to increase degeneration at the lower level of the spine. In cases showing laterality of the degeneration of paraspinal muscle, the less affected muscle on CT was located at the convex site of scoliosis. We speculate that the scoliosis occurs when DMD patients have asymmetrical paraspinal muscle degeneration, leading them to take compensatory posture.
Ando
N
N
Department of Neurology, National Nishinara Hospital.
Takayanagi
T
T
Fujimoto
Y
Y
Mano
Y
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D009132:Muscles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D009136:Muscular Dystrophies / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000209:etiology*; D013131:Spine; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed