Diaphragmatic ultrasound: a promising biomarker for the risk of respiratory complications in Steinert myotonic dystrophy

Partager sur

French clinicians investigated diaphragmatic function in patients with Steinert’s myotonic dystrophy (DM1) using an ultrasound method, which is by definition non-invasive:

  • 330 adults with DM1, with a median age of 43 years, and followed up at the Paris Institute of Myology, were included in this retrospective study aimed at comparing diaphragmatic function, spirometric parameters and cardiac function in these patients;
  • other functional scores were compiled between 2015 and 2019, most often through annual assessments,
  • the diaphragmatic inspiratory mobility index (DIM) was chosen as the reference,
  • It was found to correlate not only with vital function but also with other parameters (gender, the Walton score, and the size of the CTG repetitions involved in the condition).

The authors highlight the value of this simple, reproducible biomarker, which is capable of predicting the risk of respiratory complications in this degenerative condition.

Determinants of diaphragm ultrasound and its diagnostic performance for predicting respiratory status in DM1. Fayssoil A, De Antonio M, Prigent H et al. Respir Med Res. 2026 May.

On the same topic