The Significance of Ragged-red Fibres in Neuromuscular Disease

Overview

Journal J Neurol Sci

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty Neurology

Date 1978 Oct 1

PMID 731262

Citations 3

Authors

M Swash

M S SCHWARTZ

M K Sargeant

Affiliations

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Abstract

The pathological significance of ragged-red fibres is uncertain. We have studied ragged-red fibres in the muscle biopsies of 3 adults; one with polymyositis and two with progressive external ophthalmoplegia. All the ragged-red fibres were Type 1 fibres. In two patients the mean diameter of the ragged-red fibres was significantly smaller than the unaffected Type 1 fibres. Some of these fibres showed features of regeneration, and others of degeneration. In the patient with polymyositis the mitochondria were proliferated and contained osmiophilic dense bodies; in the other two patients paracrystalline mitochondrial inclusions were prominent. These findings suggest that ragged-red fibres do not represent a single pathological process.

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