Diagnostic value of electromyography in children and adolescents

The diagnostic accuracy in pediatric neurology has been considerably improved by new methods such as magnetic resonance imaging and molecular genetic analysis. However, standard diagnostic techniques continue to play an important role. The authors analyzed the diagnostic value of electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS) in a retrospective study of 498 pediatric patients. The overall consistency between EMG results and the final clinical diagnosis in all children examined was 98%. In myogenic diseases, the concordance between EMG and clinical findings was lower (80%), because some patients with congenital myopathies showed normal EMG findings in this group. Peripheral neurogenic diseases were in all but one of the cases diagnosed correctly (99.5%). No decrease in diagnostic reliability was found in the younger age group. EMG and NCS examinations have to be adapted to the needs of children by an experienced examiner, but continue to be valuable diagnostic methods in pediatric neurology.