MRI imaging in muscular dystrophies

Muscle imaging is useful for defining muscle involvement in several dystrophies. Itsalso used to define the clinical progression and to study the natural history of disease,relevant to possible diagnostic of their pathogenesis and report a new clinical tool. .Specific pattern of muscle degeneration are seen and in some sequences (STIR)myoedema can be documented. Also fatty infiltration and connective tissue replacementcan be seen and atrophy of muscle can be investigated in upper and lower limbs.Specific muscular dystrophy pattern of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, limb girdlemuscular dystrophy, myotonic dystrophies, Hyaline body myopathy, congenital muscularmyopathies, Emery-Dreifuss dystrophy, and Bethlem myopathy are presented. Althoughtime consuming, imaging techniques appear to be useful in follow up of musculardystrophy patients.