Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Muscle Biopsy Results

Quote:

Microscopic Diagnosis:
Skeletal muscle, right deltoid, parts A, B, and C, muscle biopsies
- Skeletal muscle with randomly scattered (mildly) atrophic fibers by light microscopy and occasional fibers with internalized nuclei and z-line streaming by electron microscopy, nonspecific.

I don't know what this means; Googling doesn't turn up much. From the information I have been able to glean, however, it seems as though atrophic fibers, internal nuclei, and z-line streaming are all characteristics that, when seen in large numbers, indicate problems, but when seen in small numbers (as in my biopsy) may or may not indicate problems. Vague, indeed. The surgeon did say that the atrophy referred to was not "real atrophy, just slight weakness."

My neurologist is on maternity leave, so I have an appointment with another neurologist in the practice. I hope he's good. I'm a little skittish when it comes to neurologists in general now, and especially skittish when it comes to neurologists in this particular practice.