VACUOLAR MYOPATHIES IN ADULTS WITH MYALGIAS - VALUE OF PARASPINAL MUSCLE INVESTIGATION

We evaluated 4 women with chronic fatigue and myalgias. Two had proxim al weakness. All had elevated serum creatine kinase levels, but none w as diagnosed with myopathy until electrodiagnostic studies revealed my otonic or complex repetitive discharges predominantly in paraspinal mu scles. Histopathology of paraspinal muscles revealed vacuolar myopathi es with glycogen storage; biochemical assays revealed phosphorylase de ficiency in 1. Since vacuolar myopathies may affect paraspinal muscles more than limb muscles, electromyographic and histopathologic studies of paraspinal muscles may be required for diagnosis. (C) 1997 John Wi ley & Sons, Inc.