Quantitative assessment of the T2 relaxation time of the gluteus muscles in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: a comparative study before and after steroid treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the feasibility of using T2 mapping as a quantitative method to longitudinally follow the disease activity in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) who are treated with steroids.


METHODS
ELEVEN BOYS WITH DMD (AGE RANGE: 5-14 years) underwent evaluation with the clinical functional score (CFS), and conventional pelvic MRI and T2 mapping before and during steroid therapy. The gluteus muscle inflammation and fatty infiltration were evaluated on conventional MRI. The histograms and mean T2 relaxation times were obtained from the T2 maps. The CFS, the conventional MRI findings and the T2 values were compared before and during steroid therapy.


RESULTS
None of the patients showed interval change of their CFSs. On conventional MRI, none of the images showed muscle inflammation. During steroid treatment, two boys showed increased fatty infiltration on conventional MRI, and both had an increase of the mean T2 relaxation time (p < 0.05). The remaining nine boys had no increase in fatty infiltration. Of these, three showed an increased mean T2 relaxation time (p < 0.05), two showed no change and four showed a decreased mean T2 relaxation time (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
T2 mapping is a feasible technique to evaluate the longitudinal muscle changes in those children who receive steroid therapy for DMD. The differences of the mean T2 relaxation time may reflect alterations in disease activity, and even when the conventional MRI and CFS remain stable.
Kim
Hee Kyung
HK
Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039, USA. Hee.Kim@cchmc.org
Laor
Tal
T
Horn
Paul S
PS
Wong
Brenda
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002081:Buttocks; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000187:drug effects; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020388:Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015588:Observer Variation; D011282:Pregnenediones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D011282:Pregnenediones; C021988:deflazacort
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