title: [Clinical application of MRI histogram in evaluation of muscle fatty infiltration].
abstract: To describe a method based on analysis of the histogram of intensity values produced from the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for quantifying the degree of fatty infiltration.
  
  
  
  The study included 25 patients with dystrophinopathy. All the subjects underwent muscle MRI test at thigh level. The histogram M values of 250 muscles adjusted for subcutaneous fat, representing the degree of fatty infiltration, were compared with the expert visual reading using the modified Mercuri scale.
  
  
  
  There was a significant positive correlation between the histogram M values and the scores of visual reading (r=0.854, P<0.001). The distinct pattern of muscle involvement detected in the patients with dystrophinopathy in our study of histogram M values was similar to that of visual reading and results in literature. The histogram M values had stronger correlations with the clinical data than the scores of visual reading as follows: the correlations with age (r=0.730, P<0.001) and (r=0.753, P<0.001); with strength of knee extensor (r=-0.468, P=0.024) and (r=-0.460, P=0.027) respectively. Meanwhile, the histogram M values analysis had better repeatability than visual reading with the interclass correlation coefficient was 0.998 (95% CI: 0.997-0.998, P<0.001) and 0.958 (95% CI: 0.946-0.967, P<0.001) respectively.
  
  
  
  Histogram M values analysis of MRI with the advantages of repeatability and objectivity can be used to evaluate the degree of muscle fatty infiltration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China.
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China.
authors.forename: W Z
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China.
authors.forename: Z X
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China.
authors.forename: J X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D052436:Adipose Tissue, White / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000367:Age Factors; D056808:Biostatistics / Q000379:methods*; D016189:Dystrophin / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D009136:Muscular Dystrophies / Q000151:congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D013848:Thigh / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
chemical_list: D016189:Dystrophin