Analysis of insertional activity is a routine part of the clinical electromyogrphic examination. It provides an information of muscle excitability but it's clinical significance has not perfectively accepted yet. This study was designed to evaluate clinical usefulness of insertional activity through quantitative analysis in the diagnostic field of pathology. Monopolar needle electrode was inserted briefly in the biceps brachii, paralumbar spinal and tibialis anterior muscles of the normal and denervated muscles. Total duration and spike duration of the insertional activity were measured 10 times in each muscle and averaged. Within spike duration we measured turns, mean amplitude, turns/amplitude, RMS, mean frequency and median frequency. The measured parameters of insertional activities were not significantly different according to the muscle in normal controls. In denervated muscles, the turns, mean amplitude, RMS, mean frequency and median frequency were decreased but turns/amplitude was increased compared to those of normal controls. But there were no difference in total duration and spike duration between normal and denervated muscles. In denervated muscles the muscle power was positively correlated with turns, mean amplitude, RMS, mean frequency and median frequency, and the grade of abnormal spontaneous activities was inversely correlated with turns, mean amplitude, RMS, mean frequency and median frequency. Therefore quantitative analysis of insertional activity could be a useful method for the diagnosis of neuromuscular disease.
Diagnosis ; Electrodes ; Muscles ; Needles ; Neuromuscular Diseases ; Pathology

Fibromatosis of the temporal region is extremely rare. It has also been referred to as extra-abdominal desmoid which orininates from muscle or fascia and it is a highly recurrent tumor. This paper presents a case of temporal muscle fibromatosis and a brief review of the pertinent literature.
Female ; Fibroma/pathology* ; Human ; Masticatory Muscles*/pathology ; Middle Age ; Muscular Diseases/pathology* ; Temporal Muscle*/pathology

Leigh's disease is a rare progressive neurological disorder that is characterized light microscopically by focal spongy necrosis in the brain and electron microscopically by mitochondriopathy. We report an autopsy case of Leigh's disease that showed abnormalities in the liver, kidney and skeletal muscle as well as the central nervous system. The patient was an 18-month-old girl who has carried a diagnosis of cerebral palsy ever since her birth to a 20-year-old mother. The baby was generally hypertonic and mentally retarded. She died of severe metabolic acidosis. Postmortem examination showed growth retardation, fatty liver, fatty kidney and soft brain. Brain section showed multifocal softenings in the brainstem, basal ganglia and periventricular areas. Microscopically increased capillaries with endothelial proliferation, vacuolar degeneration and mild gliosis were seen in the brain. The axons were relatively preserved. Liver and kidneys showed microvesicular fatty change. Myofiber degeneration of the skeletal muscle was also noted. Electron microscopic examination showed markedly increased mitochondria in the parenchymal cells of the brain, liver and kidney. The mitochondria showed round to ovoid ballooned appearance including electron-dense core-like structures and pseudoinclusions of glycogen granules.
Brain/pathology/ultrastructure ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Kidney/pathology/ultrastructure ; Leigh Disease/*pathology ; Liver/pathology/ultrastructure ; Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathies/pathology ; Muscles/pathology

The apex of the orbit is basically formed by the optic canal, the superior orbital fissure, and their contents. Space-occupying lesions in this area can result in clinical deficits caused by compression of the optic nerve or extraocular muscles. Evenvascular changes in the cavernous sinus can produce a direct mass effect and affect the orbitapex. When pathologic changes in this region is suspected, contrast-enhanced MR imaging with fat saturation is very useful. According to the anatomic regions from which the lesions arise, they can be classified as belonging to one of five groups; lesions of the optic nerve-sheath complex, of the conal and intraconal spaces, of the extraconal space and bony orbit, of the cavernous sinus or diffuse. The characteristic MR findings of various orbital lesions will be described in this paper.
Cavernous Sinus ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Muscles ; Optic Nerve ; Orbit* ; Pathology*

Biopsy ; methods ; Electromyography ; Humans ; Muscles ; pathology ; Polyneuropathies ; diagnosis

Extra-nodal malignant lymphoma is often characterized by a lack of typical symptoms and positive results of auxiliary examinations, which make diagnosis difficult. In some cases, fever can be the only clinical manifestation. For the lymphoma patients presenting with persistent fever with a duration over 3 weeks, characteristics of fever including time of fever attack, fever type and effects of drugs may have significant value in the diagnosis, especially in the early stage of the disease or in rare cases.
Fever of Unknown Origin ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; diagnosis ; Muscles ; pathology

Elbow ultrasonography is a feasible and useful diagnostic method for the evaluation of tendons, muscles, ligaments, nerves and joints in traumatic or articular disorders as well as for the diagnosis of rare tumorous diseases. This pictorial essay discusses the basic techniques of elbow ultrasonography, sonographic anatomy and various types of elbow pathology with associated sonographic features.
Diagnosis* ; Elbow Joint* ; Elbow* ; Joints ; Ligaments ; Muscles ; Pathology ; Tendons ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: To establish the objective method of diagnosing the myofascial pain syndrome through diagnostic ultrasound and pathology. METHOD: Hamstring muscles of 7 female house rabbits, weighing 2.5~3.0 Kg, were studied. The existence of nodule was confirmed by palpation and through diagnostic ultrasound. A horizontal length, vertical length, thickness, and an area of hyperechoic region were measured. Hyperechoic regions were biopsied and stained with hematoxylin-eosin. RESULTS: All examined rabbits had muscular nodules in the medial hamstring. Characteristic increase of echogenecity was observed in the medial hamstring muscles. Some uneven hyperechoic areas were seen in the lateral hamstring muscles. Fatty degeneration and giant round cells were observed in the medial hamstring where the echogenecity was increased. The giant round cells were observed only in the lateral hamstring. CONCLUSION: Increased echogenecity of the medial hamstring muscle is probably contributed by muscles cells with fatty degeneration and giant round cells, and some portions of hyperechogenecity of lateral hamstring requires further study.
Female ; Humans ; Muscles ; Myofascial Pain Syndromes* ; Palpation ; Pathology ; Rabbits ; Ultrasonography*

This study describes five bilateral anatomical variations in the feet of a 97-year-old male cadaver. Following routine dissection, all variants were measured and documented. Three accessory tendons and two accessory ossicles were identified. Bilateral accessory tendons were present from the tibialis anterior (type II), peroneus tertius (type III), and peroneus brevis muscles. Accessory tendon length was 36–104 mm and width was 1–3 mm each inserting more distally then the main tendon. Accessory ossicles were identified as an accessory navicular and os peroneum, respectively. Individually, each variation has varying prevalence rates in the literature, but to date, no known studies have been published describing the combined presence of all five bilateral variations. The acknowledgement of multi-variant cases such as this one may be helpful in the clinical setting, particularly for patients with pathology or for those undergoing foot and ankle surgery.
Ankle ; Cadaver ; Foot ; Humans ; Male ; Muscles ; Pathology ; Prevalence ; Tendons

OBJECTIVETo observe the histologic changes of the cervical muscles and intervertebral discs caused by dynamic dysequilibrium of frontally cervical muscles in rabbits.

METHODSThirty healthy rabbits with an average age of two years, half males and half females, the mean of weight in (2.75 +/- 0.25) kg, were divided randomly into model group and the sham operation group with fifteen rabbits in each group. The hibateral sternocleidomastoid muscles of rabbits in the model group were shortened by medical pipe to estabish the new animal model (the model was cervical dynamic dysequilibrium); and in the sham operative group, only exposed hibateral sternocleidomastoid muscles by operation. At the same time after two months, the histologic changes of the cervical muscles and intervertebral discs in all rabbits were observed, meanwhile, the myofibrillar amount and its cross section area were compared between two groups.

RESULTSAfter operation, the cervical muscles and intervertebral discs had significant change in model group, but no obvious change in sham operative group. The myofibrillar amount of frontal cervical muscles and back cervical muscles in model group was obviously lower than that of sham operative group (P < 0.05); likewise, the myofibrillar cross section area in model group was obviously lower than that of sham operative group (P < 0.05); the frontal cervical muscles was obviously change than the back cervical muscles.

CONCLUSIONThe cervical dynamic dysequilibrium caused by crispation of frontal cervical muscles can lead to pathologic degeneration of cervical muscles and intervertebral discs. The study may provide experimental proof for early cervical spondylopathy.

Animals ; Female ; Intervertebral Disc ; pathology ; Male ; Neck Muscles ; pathology ; physiology ; Rabbits ; Spasm ; pathology ; physiopathology