THE VALUE OF THE FIBRE DENSITY EXAMINATION IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF NEUROGENIC LESIONS. (A SINGLE FIBRE ELECTROMYOGRAPHY STUDY)

KOUNTOURIS D, GEHLEN W. Neuroloqische Abteilung der Universitatsklinik, Knappschafts-Krankenhaus, 4630 Bochum 7, FRG

In 47 patients (31 with a lumbosacral herniation of the intervertebral disc, 11 with a CTS, 3 with a traumatic lesion of a peripheral nerve and 2 with a

Guillain-Barre syndrome) the muscle regions which were affected by peripheral neuronic lesions were examined both by means of conventional EMG and Single Fibre Electromyography. The results were compared to those of a group of control subjects. The mean value of the fibre density was considerably increased in all affected muscles in comparison to that of the control group. In all groups of patients the fibre density was increased even in those muscles where the conventional EMG did not demonstrate any pathological findings. The fibre density examination proved to be a far more sensitive method than the conventional EMG in confirming peripheral neurogenic lesions in all examined groups of patients.

Abstract published in Journal of Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 1983;56(3)

Paper presented at the 7^th International Congress of Elecrtomyography ,

Munich, Germany, October, 9-13,1983