Quantitative skeletal muscle ultrasound: diagnostic value in childhood neuromuscular disease.
In this study we investigated the diagnostic value of quantitative skeletal muscle ultrasonography in 150 consecutively referred children with symptoms suspect for a neuromuscular disorder. Muscle thickness and quantitatively determined echo intensity of four muscles and the distribution of these variables within the body were examined.


RESULTS
Patients with and without a neuromuscular disorder could be discriminated with a positive predictive value of 91% and a negative predictive value of 86%. Patients with a neurogenic disorder could be distinguished from myopathies and non-neuromuscular disorders with a positive predictive value of 86% and a negative predictive of 84%, using the pattern of distribution of pathology within the body.


CONCLUSIONS
Skeletal muscle ultrasound is a good, practical and non-invasive aid in the diagnosis of neuromuscular disorders in children, that is able to discriminate between children with and without a neuromuscular disorder and between neurogenic disorders and myopathies with high predictive values.
Pillen
S
S
Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurology, Neuromuscular Centre Nijmegen, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. s.pillen@cukz.umcn.nl
Verrips
A
A
van Alfen
N
N
Arts
I M P
IM
Sie
L T L
LT
Zwarts
M J
MJ
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods