Muscle Wasting / Muscle Atrophy
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Muscle Wasting / Muscle Atrophy

One can appreciate from this photo that there is significant lower limb wasting (or muscle atrophy) of the right leg compared to the left. The right leg is also shorter compared to the left. Muscle wasting (or atrophy) is due to denervation of the muscle supplied by the motor nerve and occurs in lower motor…

Fasciculations

Fasciculations

These two videos are from a middle-aged man presenting with progressive bilateral lower limb and right upper limb weakness for few months. In the first video, there are prominent fasciculations over the entire right upper limb. Whilst in the second video, fasciculations can also be noted over both lower limbs, but more prominent on the…

Areflexia

Areflexia

The knee-jerk, ankle-jerk and plantar reflexes are being examined in this patient. There is a slight down-going plantar reflex on the right side. Otherwise, all other reflexes are absent. Discussion of the sign Areflexia may indicate deficits in the reflex loop. This may be due to a lesion involving the sensory neuron or the lower motor…

Ulnar Neuropathy

Ulnar Neuropathy

These two photos (Figures 1 and 2) show wasting of the left small hand muscles including the interosseous muscles, 3rd and 4th lumbricals and hypothenar muscles. The picture also shows an ulnar claw hand in which there is extension of the metacarpophalangeal joints and flexion of the proximal and distal interphalangeal joints of the 4th…