Discrimination between neuropathy and myopathy by use of magnetic resonance imaging.

Since discrimination between myopathy and neuropathy may be difficult it seemed reasonable to investigate the possibility of assessment of these disorders by means of magnetic resonance imaging. Children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and children with the juvenile type of spinal muscular atrophy were selected for the study and compared to healthy volunteers. Measurements were performed on a small Bruker imaging system operating at 2.35 T, and T1 weighed images on the lower extremities were recorded. Images obtained on the diseased extremities could be clearly distinguished from the images from healthy children. Furthermore, preferential involvement of fast muscles in patients with muscular dystrophy, and differences in distribution of fatty degeneration of muscles enable reliable discrimination between muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy.