Acute quadriplegic myopathy with thick filament loss spares moving muscles: an autopsy study.
Overview
abstract
Acute Quadriplegic Myopathy with selective Thick Filament Loss (AQM-TFL) is likely an under-recognized cause of acquired areflexic quadriplegia in the ICU setting. An autopsy study of a patient with AQM-TFL revealed widespread limb thick filament loss, but with complete diaphragmatic and cardiac sparing and relative intercostal muscle sparing, was observed. Due to increased lipid accumulation, biochemical studies were performed and showed an increased free carnitine percentage, suggesting possible impaired carnitine esterification. These findings suggest that moving muscles might be resistant to the deleterious effects of AQM-TFL. These findings may have therapeutic implications.
