Saturday, February, 11, 2012

Muscle biopsy

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Biopsy - muscle


Normal Values

A normal result means there is normal muscle and related tissue anatomy. There are no abnormalities seen when the tissue sample is stained and examined under a microscope.


What abnormal results mean

A muscle biopsy can help diagnose the following conditions:

  • Atrophy (loss of muscle mass)
  • Dermatomyositis
  • Duchenne muscular dystrophy
  • Inflammation of the muscle
  • Muscular dystrophy
  • Myopathic changes (destruction of the muscle)
  • Necrosis (tissue death) of muscle
  • Necrotizing vasculitis
  • Traumatic muscle damage
  • Polymyositis

Additional conditions under which the test may be performed include:

  • Becker's muscular dystrophy
  • Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (hereditary)
  • Common peroneal nerve dysfunction
  • Eosinophilic fasciitis
  • Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (Landouzy-Dejerine)
  • Familial periodic paralysis
  • Friedreich's ataxia
  • Polymyalgia rheumatica
  • Senile cardiac amyloid
  • Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis

Review Date: 09/16/2010
Reviewed By: Dennis Ogiela, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon, Danbury Hospital, Danbury, CT. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)