Muscle, Critical illness myopathy [LMP34236]

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Diagnostic Modality: 
Whole Slide Image
Disease Category: 
Cellular Responses to Stress and Toxic Insults: Adaptation, Injury, and Death
Diagnosis: 
Critical illness myopathy
Species: 
Human
Organ System: 
Peripheral Nerve and Skeletal Muscle
Gender: 
Male
Age: 
40 years
Diagnosis Code: 
ICD-10: G72.9
Slide Contributor Information
Gao, A., Kiehl, TR.

Keywords

Critical care myopathy

Clinical History

40-year-old man with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and prolonged admission to ICU due to multisystem organ failure.

Clinical Discussion

Critical illness myopathy (CIM) is an acute myopathy developing in the context of critical/severe illness. While the pathogenesis is not completely understood, treatment with high-dose corticosteroids and neuromuscular junction blocking agents are both risk factors for developing CIM. The main histopathologic features on muscle biopsy are necrosis and atrophy of fibres and selective loss of myosin thick filaments, best appreciated on electron microscopy (loss of A bands, see Related Content). In patients with CIM that survive their critical illness, approximately one third do not recover their physical condition before their critical illness.

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