Muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): abnormal patterns

Muscle oedema: features

• This shows as high signal intensity on T2 or STIR sequences
• It is low to intermediate signal intensity on T1 sequences
• It is better detected if combined with diffusion weighted imaging (DWI)

Muscle oedema: causes

Fatty infiltration: features

Fatty infiltration: causes

Mass lesions: causes

Muscle atrophy: causes

Muscle abnormal anatomy: types

Differentials of low T2 signal muscle abnormalities

Differentials of high T1 signal muscle abnormalities

References

1. Theodorou DJ, Theodorou SJ, Kakitsubata Y. Skeletal muscle disease: patterns of MRI appearances. Br J Radiol 2012; 85:e1298-e1308.
2. May DA, Disler DG, Jones EA, Balkissoon AA, Manaster BJ. Abnormal signal intensity in skeletal muscle at MR imaging: patterns, pearls, and pitfalls. Radiographics 2000; 20 Spec No:S295-S315. 
3. Smitaman E, Flores DV, Mejía Gómez C, Pathria MN. MR imaging of atraumatic muscle disorders. Radiographics 2018; 38:500-522. 
4. Faruch M, Garcia AI, Del Amo M, et al. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging is useful for assessing inflammatory myopathies. Muscle Nerve 2019; 59:555-560.
5. Tomas X, Milisenda JC, Garcia-Diez AI, et al. Whole-body MRI and pathological findings in adult patients with myopathies. Skeletal Radiol 2019; 48:653-676. 

Related checklists

• Muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): disease-specific patterns
• Muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): muscle-specific patterns
• Muscle ultrasound