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Abstract #3510

Multi-Parametric Characterization of Polymyositis at 3.0 T: A Preliminary Study

Ke Li1, 2, Richard D. Dortch1, 2, E. Brian Welch1, 2, Susan F. Kroop3, Bruce M. Damon1, 2, Jane H. Park4

1Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States; 2Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States; 3Rheumatology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States; 4Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States


Polymyositis (PM) is a form of Idiopathic Inflammatory Myositis (IIM), with symptoms of muscle inflammation, fat infiltration/replacement, and atrophy. In this work, several quantitative methods, including Dixon fat/water imaging, T2, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) have been applied for the first time in a PM patient at 3.0 Tesla. It is shown that these quantitative methods may provide an improved understanding of the pathological processes associated with PM at a microscopic level, and can objectively and quantitatively characterize, on an individual basic, the severity of muscle damage.