title: Electrodiagnostic approach to the patient with suspected myopathy.
abstract: Electrodiagnostic testing is a useful component of the approach to a patient with suspected myopathy. It follows the history and is guided by the neurologic examination findings. Uncovering various electrodiagnostic patterns (eg, fibrillation potentials with short-duration motor unit potentials, short-duration motor unit potentials without fibrillation potentials, myotonic discharges, and short-duration motor unit potentials with complex repetitive discharges) can lead to more targeted laboratory testing and a refined differential diagnosis. Electromyography may also be used to detect subclinical myopathy, assess disease activity, and help select a suitable muscle for biopsy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuromuscular Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, UPMC- Presbyterian, F875, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. lacomisd@upmc.edu
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lacomis
mesh_terms: D004568:Electrodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*