Rhabdomyolysis: magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography findings.
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.
Lu
Chia-Hung
CH
Department of Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
Tsang
Yuk-Ming
YM
Yu
Chih-Wei
CW
Wu
Mu-Zon
MZ
Hsu
Chao-Yu
CY
Shih
Tiffany Ting-Fang
TT
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*