title: Rhabdomyolysis: magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our purpose was to describe the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and computed tomography (CT) findings in patients with rhabdomyolysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records and imaging studies of 10 patients (5 males, 5 females; age range, 14-60 years; mean age, 28.3 years) with rhabdomyolysis were retrospectively reviewed. Magnetic resonance imaging was available in 9 patients and CT in 2 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two distinct imaging types of rhabdomyolysis were observed. For type 1 rhabdomyolysis (n = 2), the affected muscles revealed homogeneously isointense to hyperintense on T1-weighted, homogeneously hyperintense on T2-weighted and short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) images, and homogeneously enhanced on contrast-enhanced MR images. For type 2 rhabdomyolysis (n = 8), the affected muscles revealed homogeneously or heterogeneously isointense to hyperintense on T1-weighted images, heterogeneously hyperintense on T2-weighted and STIR images, heterogeneously hypodense on CT images, and rim enhanced on contrast-enhanced MR and CT images with the presence of a specific presentation, named as the "stipple sign."
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rhabdomyolysis is a clinical and biochemical syndrome comprising 2 distinct imaging types. Homogeneous signal changes and enhancement in the affected muscles advocate type 1 rhabdomyolysis. The stipple sign is helpful in demonstrating the areas of myonecrosis in type 2 rhabdomyolysis and, together with clinical and laboratory presentations, in reaching the correct diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Yuk-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: Chih-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Mu-Zon
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chao-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Tiffany Ting-Fang
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Shih
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012206:Rhabdomyolysis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*