Generating color-coded anatomic muscle maps for correlation of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging analysis with clinical examination in neuromuscular disorders.

INTRODUCTION: Fatty infiltration of muscles may be seen in many neuromuscular disorders, including glycogen storage disease (GSD), muscular dystrophy, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Recording pathologic involvement of musculature in these patients is cumbersome, given marked disease heterogeneity within each individual. We describe a novel method for simplifying this process and present its application in a patient with GSD type IIIa.

METHODS: A color-coded visual mapping tool was developed based on a commonly used spreadsheet platform.

RESULTS: This tool depicts individual muscle groups as shapes linked to data cells corresponding to quantitative MRI-based measures of fatty infiltration and weakness assessed by physical examination. It allows for rapid evaluation and chronological comparison of all mapped muscle groups on a single graphical sheet, as well as assessment of response to therapy.

CONCLUSION: This approach can be applied in any neuromuscular disorder where muscle function is assessed by clinical or imaging scores.