Preliminary Diagnosis: Myopathy
I. What imaging technique is first-line for this diagnosis?
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MRI with and without contrast
II. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of this technique for diagnosis of myopathy.
Advantages
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Highly sensitive and specific in detecting, diagnosing, and characterizing myopathy and any muscular pathology.
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Offers exquisite detail of the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and surrounding soft tissues
Continue Reading -
Gold standard imaging modality in diagnosing myopathy.
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May further detail any secondary abnormalities or complications such as an abscess
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Offers exquisite visualization and detail of the surrounding soft tissues and fascial structures
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Does not expose patients to ionizing radiation
Disadvantages
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Less sensitive and specific in characterizing osseous abnormalities
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Expensive
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Time consuming
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Susceptible to motion artifact
III. What are the contraindications for the first-line imaging technique?
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Contraindicated in patients with non–MR-compatible hardware
IV. What alternative imaging techniques are available?
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No specific alternative imaging techniques are available
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