Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jun 5;185(1):167-177.
doi: 10.1530/EJE-21-0209.

Intramuscular fatty infiltration and physical function in controlled acromegaly

Luciana Martel-Duguech  1   2   3 , Jorge Alonso-Pérez  3   4 , Helena Bascuñana  5 , Jordi Díaz-Manera  3   6 , Jaume Llauger  7 , Claudia Nuñez-Peralta  7 , Paula Montesinos  8 , Susan M Webb  1   2   3 , Elena Valassi  1   3   9
Affiliations

Intramuscular fatty infiltration and physical function in controlled acromegaly

Luciana Martel-Duguech et al. Eur J Endocrinol. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Introduction: Patients with acromegaly show musculoskeletal symptoms which may persist despite disease control. Increased i.m. fat fraction is a known cause of muscle dysfunction in several disorders.

Objective: To assess the degree of fat fraction in thigh muscles of controlled acromegaly patients and its relationship with muscle dysfunction.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we included 36 patients with controlled acromegaly and 36 matched controls. We assessed the percentage of fat fraction in each thigh muscle, using MRI 2-point Dixon sequence, and muscle performance and strength using the gait speed, timed up and go, 30-s chair stand, and hand grip strength tests. We evaluated joint symptoms using the Western Ontario McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC).

Results: Intramuscular fat fraction was greater in patients than controls (P < 0.05 for muscle compartments, rectus femoris (RF), vastus intermedius (VI), adductor magnus (AM) and semimembranosus). Patients had slower gait speed and poorer performance on the 30-s chair stand and timed up and go tests than controls (P < 0.05). The greater fat fraction in the combined anterior-posterior compartment and in each muscle was associated with worse performance on timed up and go (P < 0.05). The fat fraction in the anterior-posterior compartment predicted performance on timed up and go after adjusting for muscle area, IGF-I and WOMAC functional and pain scores (β = 0.737 P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Patients with controlled acromegaly have greater thigh i.m. fatty infiltration, which is associated with muscle dysfunction. Futures studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this relationship.

PubMed Disclaimer