OBJECTIVE To examine differences in fasciculation distribution between patients with multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) based on muscle ultrasound. METHODS Forty-one muscles (tongue muscle and 40 muscles of the trunk and limbs on both sides) in 5 MMN patients and 21 muscles (tongue muscle and 20 muscles on the onset side) in 21 ALS patients were subjected to muscle ultrasound individually for 60 seconds to detect the presence of fasciculations. RESULTS Fasciculation detection rates on the onset side were significantly higher in ALS (42.4 ± 18.3%, mean ± SD) than in MMN (21.9 ± 8.8%) patients (p < 0.05). In MMN patients, no fasciculation was detected in the tongue or truncal muscles. There was no difference in the fasciculation detection rate between the onset and non-onset sides or between upper and lower limbs in MMN patients. CONCLUSIONS In MMN patients, fasciculations were detected extensively in the limbs. However, the detection rate in patients with MMN was lower than in those with ALS. SIGNIFICANCE Demonstration of the absence of fasciculations in the tongue and truncal muscles in MMN patients by extensive muscle ultrasound examination may help distinguish MMN from ALS.

中文翻译：

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多灶性运动神经病与肌萎缩侧索硬化的肌束颤动分布差异

目的 基于肌肉超声检查多灶性运动神经病 (MMN) 和肌萎缩侧索硬化 (ALS) 患者肌束颤动分布的差异。方法 5 例 MMN 患者的 41 块肌肉（舌肌和两侧躯干和四肢的 40 块肌肉）和 21 例 ALS 患者的 21 块肌肉（舌肌和 2​​0 块肌肉）分别接受肌肉超声检查 60几秒钟来检测束颤的存在。结果 ALS (42.4 ± 18.3%, 平均值 ± SD) 患者发病侧的肌束颤动检出率显着高于 MMN (21.9 ± 8.8%) 患者 (p < 0.05)。在 MMN 患者中，在舌头或躯干肌肉中未检测到肌束颤动。MMN患者发病侧与非发病侧或上肢与下肢的肌束颤动检出率均无差异。结论 在 MMN 患者中，在四肢中广泛检测到肌束颤动。然而，MMN 患者的检出率低于 ALS 患者。意义 通过广泛的肌肉超声检查证明 MMN 患者的舌头和躯干肌肉不存在肌束颤动可能有助于区分 MMN 和 ALS。