Mitochondria
Monthly
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of CPEO is an extensive four step processes three of which being lab tests.
1
2
History Screening
Doctors check the patient’s family history to see if they are predisposed to CPEO due to inheritance.
Muscle Biopsy
A biopsy (figure 1) is a procedure where a tiny sample of muscle (usually your thigh muscle/quadriceps) is examined under a microscope. This procedure is done in a clinic and takes about
20 minutes. The
muscle will be
“frozen” or
numbed with an
anesthetic and
then the doctor
makes an
incision and
removes a
sample of
muscle with a
needle. The incision is then closed with a stitch that will be removed in about a week. The fibres found in the muscle are then examined by quantity and dispersion and compared to that of a regular muscle sample. Patients with CPEO tend to have and increase of ragged red muscle fibres.
figure 1
8
Muscle biopsy. (n.d.). Retrieved January 01, 2018, from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/8868.htm