Muscle weakness and Atrophy

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Iqra Qamar M.D.[2]

Differential Diagnosis of Muscle weakness and Atrophy[edit | edit source]

Organ system	Disease	Symptoms												History	Physical Examination	Diagnosis
Organ system	Disease	Age of onset	Muscle weakness	Fever	Myalgia	Contractures	Gait abnormality	Neuropathy	Atrophy	Stiffness	Myoglobinuria	Other features	Laboratory Findings	History	Physical Examination	Creatine Kinase	Muscle Biopsy	Electromyogram
Medication−induced	Corticosteroids^[1]	Variable	Proximal	−	+	−	−	−	+	−	−	Central obesity Excessive sweating Insomnia Reduced libido Amenorrhea Infertility Psychological disturbances	Positive h/o medications	Facial and sphincter muscles are usually spared	Positive ACTH stimulation test 24-hour urine cortisol Low dose dexamethasone suppression test	Normal	Normal	Normal
Endocrine	Cushing's disease^[2]	25 −45	Proximal	−	−	−	−	−	+	−	−	Decreased libido Obesity/weight gain Plethora Round face Menstrual changes Hirsutism Hypertension Ecchymoses Lethargy Depression Dorsal fat pad Abnormal glucose tolerance	N/A	Facial and sphincter muscles are usually spared Overweight Straie Moon face HTN Hyperpigmentation	Positive ACTH stimulation test 24-hour urine cortisol Low dose dexamethasone suppression test	Normal	Atrophy of type 2 muscle fibers, especially type 2B	Normal
	Hyperthyroidism^[3]	40	Proximal	−	−	−	−	−	+	+	+	Signs of hyperthyroidism	H/o of weight loss	Sweating Tremor Neck swelling	Decreased TSH	↑↑	Non specific	Myotonic
	Hypothyroidism^[4]	55	Proximal	−	+	+	−	−	+	+	+ Rhabdomyolysis	Signs of hypothyroidism	H/o weight gain	Myxoedema Muscle pseudohypertrophy	Increased TSH	↑↑	Nonspecific	Normal
	Diabetic infraction^[5]	45	Proximal	+	+	−	−	+	+	−	−	Cramps Sudden onset of pain Anterior thigh muscles are most commonly involved	H/O long standing diabetes	Swelling Tenderness	Elevated ESR Leukocytosis	Normal	Necrosis Edema	Normal
Organ system	Disease	Age of onset	Muscle weakness	Fever	Myalgia	Contractures	Gait abnormality	Neuropathy	Atrophy	Stiffness	Myoglobinuria	Other features	History	Physical Examination	Laboratory Findings	Creatine Kinase	Muscle Biopsy	Electromyogram
Genetic	Becker muscular dystrophy^[6]	<13yrs	Proximal	−	−	+	+	−	+	−	−	Milder form of Duchenne	Growth delay Age of onset of symptoms is much delayed than duchenne	Positive Grower sign	Decreased amount of dystrophin.	↑↑	Muscle fibril degeneration, regeneration Isolated fiber hypertrophy Muscle replacement with fat and connective tissue	Myopathic
	Duchenne muscular dystrophy^[7]	<13 yrs	Proximal	−	−	+	+	−	+	−	−	Calf psedohypertrophy Cardiomyopathy Kyphoscoliosis Cognitive impairment	Early onset	Positive Grower sign	Errors in the Xp21 gene. Absence of dystrophin.	↑↑		Myopathic
	Limb−girdle muscular dystrophies^[8]	<15 yrs	Proximal	−	+	+	+	−	+	−	−	Calf hypertrophy Scapular winging Cardiomyopathy Cardiac arrhythmias Respiratory muscle weakness	Autosomal dominant Deterioration of ability to run/walk	Muscle weakness is generally symmetric	LMNA gene CAV3 gene	↑↑	N/A	Myopathic
	Glycogen storage disease^[9]	Variable	Proximal	−	−	−	−	−	+	−	−	AR Faituge Hypoglycemia	Exercise intolerance	Hypotonia Hepatomegaly	Lactic acidosis Elevated liver enzymes Ketosis	↑↑	Normal	Normal
Infectious	Polio^[10]	<5 yrs	Proximal	−	−	−	+	+	+	−	−	Asymmetrical paralysis Muscle atrophy Tremors Skeletal deformities	History of skipped immunization.	Normal Meningeal signs Asymmetrical flaccid paralysis Pharyngeal paralysis	Isolation from pharyngealsecretions, CSF Positive serology	N/A	N/A	Neurological pattern
Neurologic	ALS^[11]	>35	Proximal & Distal Distal	−	−	−	−	+	+	+	−	Dysphagia Spasticity Hyperreflexia Babinski's +	N/A	Both upper and lower motor neuron signs	Clinical diagnosis	Normal	Nonspecific findings of chronic denervation with reinnervation	Neuropathic
Neurologic	Stroke^[12]	>65	Proximal & distal	−	−	−	+	+	+	−	−	Dysphagia Unilateral/Bilateral weakness	H/o HTN, dyslipidaemia DM	Weakness of the involved arm	Head CT	Normal	Normal	Neuropathic

References[edit | edit source]

↑ Gupta A, Gupta Y (September 2013). "Glucocorticoid-induced myopathy: Pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment". Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 17 (5): 913–6. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.117215. PMC 3784879. PMID 24083177.
↑ Sharma V, Borah P, Basumatary LJ, Das M, Goswami M, Kayal AK (July 2014). "Myopathies of endocrine disorders: A prospective clinical and biochemical study". Ann Indian Acad Neurol. 17 (3): 298–302. doi:10.4103/0972-2327.138505. PMC 4162016. PMID 25221399.
↑ Li Q, Liu Y, Zhang Q, Tian H, Li J, Li S (July 2017). "Myopathy in hyperthyroidism as a consequence of rapid reduction of thyroid hormone: A case report". Medicine (Baltimore). 96 (30): e7591. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000007591. PMC 5627834. PMID 28746208.
↑ Khaleeli AA, Griffith DG, Edwards RH (September 1983). "The clinical presentation of hypothyroid myopathy and its relationship to abnormalities in structure and function of skeletal muscle". Clin. Endocrinol. (Oxf). 19 (3): 365–76. PMID 6627693.
↑ Horton WB, Taylor JS, Ragland TJ, Subauste AR (2015). "Diabetic muscle infarction: a systematic review". BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. 3 (1): e000082. doi:10.1136/bmjdrc-2015-000082. PMC 4410119. PMID 25932331.
↑ Flanigan KM (August 2014). "Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies". Neurol Clin. 32 (3): 671–88, viii. doi:10.1016/j.ncl.2014.05.002. PMID 25037084.
↑ Flanigan KM (August 2014). "Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies". Neurol Clin. 32 (3): 671–88, viii. doi:10.1016/j.ncl.2014.05.002. PMID 25037084.
↑ Guglieri M, Straub V, Bushby K, Lochmüller H (October 2008). "Limb-girdle muscular dystrophies". Curr. Opin. Neurol. 21 (5): 576–84. doi:10.1097/WCO.0b013e32830efdc2. PMID 18769252.
↑ Kannourakis G (April 2002). "Glycogen storage disease". Semin. Hematol. 39 (2): 103–6. PMID 11957192.
↑ Howard RS (June 2005). "Poliomyelitis and the postpolio syndrome". BMJ. 330 (7503): 1314–8. doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7503.1314. PMC 558211. PMID 15933355.
↑ Zarei S, Carr K, Reiley L, Diaz K, Guerra O, Altamirano PF, Pagani W, Lodin D, Orozco G, Chinea A (2015). "A comprehensive review of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis". Surg Neurol Int. 6: 171. doi:10.4103/2152-7806.169561. PMC 4653353. PMID 26629397.
↑ Baldwin K, Orr S, Briand M, Piazza C, Veydt A, McCoy S (May 2010). "Acute ischemic stroke update". Pharmacotherapy. 30 (5): 493–514. doi:10.1592/phco.30.5.493. PMID 20412000.

[pmid24083177-1] Gupta A, Gupta Y (September 2013). "Glucocorticoid-induced myopathy: Pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment". Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 17 (5): 913–6. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.117215. PMC 3784879. PMID 24083177.

[pmid25221399-2] Sharma V, Borah P, Basumatary LJ, Das M, Goswami M, Kayal AK (July 2014). "Myopathies of endocrine disorders: A prospective clinical and biochemical study". Ann Indian Acad Neurol. 17 (3): 298–302. doi:10.4103/0972-2327.138505. PMC 4162016. PMID 25221399.

[pmid28746208-3] Li Q, Liu Y, Zhang Q, Tian H, Li J, Li S (July 2017). "Myopathy in hyperthyroidism as a consequence of rapid reduction of thyroid hormone: A case report". Medicine (Baltimore). 96 (30): e7591. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000007591. PMC 5627834. PMID 28746208.

[pmid6627693-4] Khaleeli AA, Griffith DG, Edwards RH (September 1983). "The clinical presentation of hypothyroid myopathy and its relationship to abnormalities in structure and function of skeletal muscle". Clin. Endocrinol. (Oxf). 19 (3): 365–76. PMID 6627693.

[pmid25932331-5] Horton WB, Taylor JS, Ragland TJ, Subauste AR (2015). "Diabetic muscle infarction: a systematic review". BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. 3 (1): e000082. doi:10.1136/bmjdrc-2015-000082. PMC 4410119. PMID 25932331.

[pmid25037084-6] Flanigan KM (August 2014). "Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies". Neurol Clin. 32 (3): 671–88, viii. doi:10.1016/j.ncl.2014.05.002. PMID 25037084.

[pmid250370842-7] Flanigan KM (August 2014). "Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies". Neurol Clin. 32 (3): 671–88, viii. doi:10.1016/j.ncl.2014.05.002. PMID 25037084.

[pmid18769252-8] Guglieri M, Straub V, Bushby K, Lochmüller H (October 2008). "Limb-girdle muscular dystrophies". Curr. Opin. Neurol. 21 (5): 576–84. doi:10.1097/WCO.0b013e32830efdc2. PMID 18769252.

[pmid11957192-9] Kannourakis G (April 2002). "Glycogen storage disease". Semin. Hematol. 39 (2): 103–6. PMID 11957192.

[pmid15933355-10] Howard RS (June 2005). "Poliomyelitis and the postpolio syndrome". BMJ. 330 (7503): 1314–8. doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7503.1314. PMC 558211. PMID 15933355.

[pmid26629397-11] Zarei S, Carr K, Reiley L, Diaz K, Guerra O, Altamirano PF, Pagani W, Lodin D, Orozco G, Chinea A (2015). "A comprehensive review of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis". Surg Neurol Int. 6: 171. doi:10.4103/2152-7806.169561. PMC 4653353. PMID 26629397.

[pmid20412000-12] Baldwin K, Orr S, Briand M, Piazza C, Veydt A, McCoy S (May 2010). "Acute ischemic stroke update". Pharmacotherapy. 30 (5): 493–514. doi:10.1592/phco.30.5.493. PMID 20412000.

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