Idiopathic scoliosis, scheurmann's disease and myopathy: two case reports.

2 cases of back curvature considered to be due to myopathy, but without associated limb weakness, are described. 1 case presented as infantile kyphosis with subsequent progression to scoliosis. There were some associated myopathic clinical features, including recurrent herniae and hip and knee contractures. The second case presented as an otherwise classical instance of Scheurmann's disease. Paraspinal muscle in both cases showed nonspecific abnormalities consistent with varieties of minimal change myopathy. EMG examination of limb muscles revealed myopathic abnormalities. These cases support the hypothesis that myopathy may underly some cases of apparently idiopathic scoliosis or kyphosis.