Muscle, Critical illness myopathy

Critical illness myopathy (CIM) is an acute myopathy developing in the context of critical/severe illness. While the pathogenesis is not completely understood, treatment with high-dose corticosteroids and neuromuscular junction blocking agents are both risk factors for developing CIM. The main histopathologic features on muscle biopsy are necrosis and atrophy of fibres and selective loss of myosin thick filaments, best appreciated on electron microscopy (loss of A bands, see Related Content). In patients with CIM that survive their critical illness, approximately one third do not recover their physical condition before their critical illness.