Diagnostic Value of Electromyography in Children and Adolescents

Hellmann, Martin; Kleist-Retzow, Jürgen-Christoph von; Haupt, Walter F.; Herkenrath, F. Peter; Schauseil-Zipf, Ulrike

doi:10.1097/01.wnp.0000151146.91147.a1

Cited by 25 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…In a study of 498 children, 17% of the EMG investigations were hampered by lack of cooperation because of fear or pain. 43 The sensitivity of EMG in detecting neurogenic disorders was very high in every age group (88%-100%). 12,19,43 EMG has more problems in detecting myopathies, especially in children.…”

Section: Muscle Ultrasound Compared To Other Diagnostic Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…12,19,43,81 As EMG is a measurement of function, and ultrasound is concerned with structure, the use of both techniques is complementary for the most part. Application of dynamic muscle ultrasound can provide a bridge between the study of muscle structure and function.…”

Section: Figure 11mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…EMG is the investigation of choice in detecting peripheral neuropathies, with high diagnostic accuracy even in young children (88%-100%), 19,43 and ultrasound of nerves can detect common nerve entrapments. 6,7,29,53,91,92 Muscle ultrasound, however, can also detect the consequences of FIGURE 10.…”

Section: Ultrasound In Neuromuscular Disordersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Muscle ultrasound in neuromuscular disorders

2008

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Muscle ultrasound is a useful tool in the diagnosis of neuromuscular disorders, as these disorders result in muscle atrophy and intramuscular fibrosis and fatty infiltration, which can be visualized with ultrasound. Several prospective studies have reported high sensitivities and specificities in the detection of neuromuscular disorders. Although not investigated in large series of patients, different neuromuscular disorders tend to show specific changes on muscle ultrasound, which can be helpful in differential diagnosis. For example, Duchenne muscular dystrophy results in a severe, homogeneous increase of muscle echo intensity with normal muscle thickness, whereas spinal muscular atrophy shows an inhomogeneous increase of echo intensity with severe atrophy. A major advantage of muscle ultrasound, compared to other imaging techniques, is its ability to visualize muscle movements, such as muscle contractions and fasciculations. This study reviews the possibilities and limitations of ultrasound in muscle imaging and its value as a diagnostic tool in neuromuscular disorders.

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Section: Muscle Ultrasound Compared To Other Diagnostic Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Figure 11mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Muscle ultrasound in neuromuscular disorders

2008

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“…As well, EMG had more difficulty in detecting myopathies in young children; the sensitivity increased from 25% in infants to 91% in children above 5 years of age. 18 Alternatively, MRI can visualize deeper muscles and detect changes that are indicative of disease progression in neuromuscular diseases; however, as mentioned above, MRI has a number of potential limitations, especially in the pediatric population. Furthermore, Zaidman et al 19 found that nerve ultrasound was more sensitive than MRI in detecting focal neuropathies or brachial plexopathy.…”

Section: Practical Uses Of Muscle Ultrasound As a Screening Tool For mentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuromuscular Ultrasound: Clinical Applications and Diagnostic Values

Mah

Alfen

2018

Can. J. Neurol. Sci.

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Advances in high-resolution ultrasound have provided clinicians with unique opportunities to study diseases of the peripheral nervous system. Ultrasound complements the clinical and electrophysiology exam by showing the degree of abnormalities in myopathies, as well as spontaneous muscle activities in motor neuron diseases and other disorders. In experienced hands, ultrasound is more sensitive than MRI in detecting peripheral nerve pathologies. It can also guide needle placement for electromyography exam, therapeutic injections, and muscle biopsy. Ultrasound enhances the ability to detect carpal tunnel syndrome and other focal nerve entrapment, as well as pathological nerve enlargements in genetic and acquired neuropathies. Furthermore, ultrasound can potentially be used as a biomarker for muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy. The combination of electromyography and ultrasound can increase the diagnostic certainty of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, aid in the localization of brachial plexus or peripheral nerve trauma and allow for surveillance of nerve tumor progression in neurofibromatosis. Potential limitations of ultrasound include an inability to image deeper structures, with lower sensitivities in detecting neuromuscular diseases in young children and those with mitochondrial myopathies, due to subtle changes or early phase of the disease. As well, its utility in detecting critical illness neuromyopathy remains unclear. This review will focus on the clinical applications of neuromuscular ultrasound. The diagnostic values of ultrasound for screening of myopathies, neuropathies, and motor neuron diseases will be presented.

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“…Earlier studies have addressed the diagnostic value of pediatric EMG for a broad range of disorders involving the peripheral nervous system, particularly as it compares with the final diagnoses reached through an integration of clinical, laboratory, histological, radiological, and genetic data . The general consensus from these investigations is that EMG remains an important diagnostic tool in children, with a high detection rate for neurogenic and neuromuscular junction pathology, and less consistent sensitivities for myopathic patterns at young ages (<2 years) …”

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confidence: 99%