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Quantitative ultrasonography of skeletal muscles in children: Normal values
Author(s) -
Scholten R.R.,
Pillen S.,
Verrips A.,
Zwarts M.J.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.10384
Subject(s) - ultrasound , medicine , ultrasonography , intensity (physics) , subcutaneous fat , normal values , linear regression , anatomy , nuclear medicine , radiology , adipose tissue , mathematics , statistics , physics , quantum mechanics
The purpose of this study was to establish normal values of muscle thickness, ratio of muscle thickness to subcutaneous fat thickness, and muscle echo intensity in children between 11 weeks and 16 years of age. Transverse scans of four muscles were made by standardized real‐time ultrasound examination. The scans were digitized, and mean echo intensity was measured using gray‐scale analysis. A multiple regression equation was used to study which independent parameter (age, height, weight, or sex) influenced the variables for each muscle. Muscle thickness depended on the child's weight. The other parameters did not significantly influence muscle thickness after correction for weight. The ratio of muscle thickness to subcutaneous fat thickness depended on age. Echo intensity showed no correlation with either of the variables. As a result, all normal values, including the equation to calculate them, are described. These normal data may help to determine the diagnostic value of muscle ultrasound in children with suspected neuromuscular disease. Muscle Nerve 27: 693–698, 2003