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T2 Mapping and Fat Quantification of Thigh Muscles in Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Current Medical Science volume 39, pages 138–145 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

Quantitative magnetic resonance image (MRI) in individual muscles may be useful for monitoring disease progression in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The purpose of this study was to measure T2 relaxation time of thigh muscles in children with DMD and healthy boys, and to correlate the T2 relaxation time of muscles with the fat fraction (FF) at quantitative magnetic resonance and results of clinical assessment. Thirty-two boys with DMD and 18 healthy boys were evaluated with T2 mapping and three-point Dixon MRI. Age, body mass index (BMI), muscle strength assessment, timed functional tests (time to walk or run 10 metres, rise from the floor and ascend four stairs), and the North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA) were evaluated. Spearman’s correlation was used to assess the relationships between FF and clinical assessments and T2 relaxation time. The mean T2 relaxation time of thigh muscles in DMD was significantly longer than that in the control group (P<0.05), except for the gracilis (P=0.952). The gracilis, sartorius and adductor longus were relatively spared by fatty infiltration in DMD patients. The T2 relaxation time was correlated significantly with the mean FF in all muscles. Age, BMI, total muscle strength score, timed functional tests and NSAA were significantly correlated with the overall mean T2 relaxation time. T2 mapping may prove clinically useful in monitoring muscle changes as a result of the disease process and in predicting the outcome of DMD patients.

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Author notes

  1. The authors contributed equally to this work.

Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, 100034, China

    Liang Yin & Jiang-xi Xiao

  2. Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, 100034, China

    Zhi-ying Xie, Zhao-xia Wang & Yun Yuan

  3. Department of Radiology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, China

    Hai-yan Xu & Sui-sheng Zheng

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  1. Liang Yin
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  2. Zhi-ying Xie
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  4. Sui-sheng Zheng
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  5. Zhao-xia Wang
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  6. Jiang-xi Xiao
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  7. Yun Yuan
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Correspondence to Jiang-xi Xiao or Yun Yuan.

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Yin, L., Xie, Zy., Xu, Hy. et al. T2 Mapping and Fat Quantification of Thigh Muscles in Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. CURR MED SCI 39, 138–145 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-019-2012-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-019-2012-8

Key words

  • T2 mapping
  • Duchenne muscular dystrophy
  • skeletal muscle
  • fat infiltration