title: Muscle imaging in clinical practice: diagnostic value of muscle magnetic resonance imaging in inherited neuromuscular disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This review reports on the use of muscle magnetic resonance imaging as a clinical and research tool in inherited neuromuscular disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Several papers published during the past few years have reported on the value of muscle magnetic resonance imaging in detecting patterns of muscle involvement in various muscular dystrophies and other inherited myopathies. The patterns of muscle involvement observed on muscle magnetic resonance imaging are often specific for distinct genetic entities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our review of the literature suggests that muscle magnetic resonance imaging can provide information that is useful in clinical practice and may be used as an additional tool in a diagnostic flow chart to select appropriate genetic and biochemical investigations.
authors.affiliation: Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, Department of Paediatrics, Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK. e.mercuri@ic.ac.uk
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mercuri
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jungbluth
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Muntoni
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D049288:Muscular Dystrophies, Limb-Girdle / Q000473:pathology; D020389:Muscular Dystrophy, Emery-Dreifuss / Q000473:pathology; D020294:Myasthenic Syndromes, Congenital / Q000473:pathology; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*