Early shoulder-girdle MRI findings in severe COVID-19-related intensive care unit-acquired weakness: a prospective cohort study.

Abstract

To describe clinical and early shoulder-girdle MR imaging findings in severe COVID-19-related intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) after ICU discharge. A single-center prospective cohort study of all consecutive patients with COVID-19-related ICU-AW from November 2020 to June 2021. All patients underwent similar clinical evaluations and shoulder-girdle MRI within the first month and then 3months (± 1month) after ICU discharge. We included 25 patients (14 males; mean [SD] age 62.4 [12.5]). Within the first month after ICU discharge, all patients showed severe proximal predominant bilateral muscular weakness (mean Medical Research Council total score = 46.5/60 [10.1]) associated with bilateral, peripheral muscular edema-like MRI signals of the shoulder girdle in 23/25 (92%) patients. At 3months, 21/25 (84%) patients showed complete or quasi-complete resolution of proximal muscular weakness (mean Medical Research Council total score > 48/60) and 23/25 (92%) complete resolution of MRI signals of the shoulder girdle, but 12/20 (60%) patients experienced shoulder pain and/or shoulder dysfunction. Early shoulder-girdle MRI findings in COVID-19-related ICU-AW included muscular edema-like peripheral signal intensities, without fatty muscle involution or muscle necrosis, with favorable evolution at 3months. Precocious MRI can help clinicians distinguish critical illness myopathy from alternative, more severe diagnoses and can be useful in the care of patients discharged from intensive care with ICU-AW. • We describe the clinical and shoulder-girdle MRI findings of COVID-19-related severe intensive care unit-acquired weakness. • This information can be used by clinicians to achieve a nearly specific diagnosis, distinguish alternative diagnoses, assess functional prognosis, and select the more appropriate health care rehabilitation and shoulder impairment treatment.