Abstract #1619

Changes in Skeletal Muscle Fractional Anisotropy and Apparent Diffusion Coefficient in Juvenile Dermatomyositis

Caleb Robert Dulaney¹, Juebin Huang², Manohar Roda¹, Alexander P. Auchus², Judy R. James¹

¹Radiology, University of Mississippi, Jackson, MS, United States; ²Neurology, University of Mississippi, Jackson, MS, United States

To date there is no data on the use of DTI in analyzing physiologic changes in skeletal muscle affected by Juvenile Dermatomyositis. The aim of this study is to analyze the muscles of the thighs in patients with both active and inactive JDMS by comparing fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values. We found that active disease caused significant decrease in FA and increase in ADC compared to inactive disease. In the future, changes in DTI parameters may be used to predict outcomes and recurrence in patients with JDMS.