SKELETAL-MUSCLE SONOGRAPHY - A CORRELATIVE STUDY OF ECHOGENICITY AND MORPHOLOGY

In skeletal muscle sonography high echogenicities have proved to be of diagnostic value. The following study examines whether these echointe nsities are caused mainly by interstitial fat or fibrosis. Consequentl y, the echogenicities of 86 muscles, their diameters, and the thicknes s of subcutaneous fat layers superficial to these muscles were measure d and compared for content of fat and connective tissue, which were as sessed by morphometry and biochemical testing in the corresponding mus cle biopsy samples. The results indicate that fat replacement constitu tes the main cause of increased muscle echogenicity, whereas intramusc ular fibrosis did not significantly affect the muscles' echogenicity.