Sarcopenia: imaging assessment and clinical application

• Published in: Abdominal imaging Vol. 47; no. 9; pp. 3205 - 3216
• Main Authors: Chianca, Vito, Albano, Domenico, Messina, Carmelo, Gitto, Salvatore, Ruffo, Gaetano, Guarino, Salvatore, Del Grande, Filippo, Sconfienza, Luca Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.09.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Absorptiometry, Photon - methods; Aged; Biomarkers; Body composition; Body Composition - physiology; Cancer therapies; Chemoradiotherapy; Chronic illnesses; Clinical outcomes; Complications; Computed tomography; Disease; Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; Fractures; Gastroenterology; Hepatology; Hormones; Humans; Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Medical imaging; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Morbidity; Mortality; Muscle function; Muscle strength; Muscle, Skeletal; Muscles; Musculoskeletal system; Older people; Patients; Postoperative; Radiology; Reduction; Sarcopenia; Sarcopenia - complications; Sarcopenia - diagnostic imaging; Skeletal muscle; Special Section: Quantitative Imaging; Sarcopenia; Muscle; Imaging; Body composition
• ISSN: 2366-0058; 2366-004X; 2366-0058
• DOI: 10.1007/s00261-021-03294-3

Sarcopenia is a progressive, generalized skeletal muscle disorder characterized by reduction of muscle mass and strength. It is associated with increased adverse outcomes including falls, fractures, physical disability, and mortality, particularly, in elderly patients. Nowadays, sarcopenia has become a specific imaging biomarker able to predict clinical outcomes of patients. Muscle fibre reduction has shown to be an unfavourable pre-operative predictive factor in patients with cancer, and is associated with worse clinical outcomes in terms of postoperative complications, morbidity, mortality, and lower tolerance of chemoradiation therapy. Several imaging modalities, including dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, CT, MRI, and US can be used to estimate muscle mass and quality to reach the diagnosis of sarcopenia. This article reviews the clinical implications of sarcopenia, how this condition can be assessed through different imaging modalities, and future perspectives of imaging of sarcopenia.