Thigh muscle stiffness assessed with magnetic resonance elastography in hyperthyroid patients before and after medical treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the stiffness of the vastus medialis (VM) in hyperthyroid patients before and after treatment.


METHODS
A total of five healthy euthyroid patients and five hyperthyroid patients were tested using magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), which involves the induction of shear waves in the thigh muscles using a pneumatic driver at 90 Hz.


RESULTS
Among the pretreatment hyperthyroid cohort a lower stiffness was found when the muscle was relaxed (2.11 +/- 0.61 kPa) compared the stiffness following treatment of hyperthyroidism (5.52 +/- 1.52 kPa), which was accompanied by an improvement in the contractile function of the VM. Pretreatment muscle stiffness was also less than that of age matched healthy volunteers (4.56 +/- 0.40 kPa). The behavior of the waves was sensitive to the stage of this myopathy and to the amount of free thyroxine (FT4).


CONCLUSIONS
The MRE technique provides a new tool to gain new insights into pathophysiology of thyroid associated and other muscle diseases and their response to treatment.
Bensamoun
Sabine F
SF
Biomechanics Laboratory, Division of Orthopedic Research, Mayo Clinic, College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Ringleb
Stacie I
SI
Chen
Qingshan
Q
Ehman
Richard L
RL
An
Kai-Nan
KN
Brennan
Michael
M
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000379:methods; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000473:pathology*; D052097:Quadriceps Muscle / Q000473:pathology*; D013848:Thigh / Q000473:pathology*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D013974:Thyroxine