Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37203274›Full record

ArticleJournal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle2023

Psoas muscle index is not representative of skeletal muscle index for evaluating cancer sarcopenia.

Frédéric Pigneur, Mario Di Palma, Bruno Raynard, Aymeric Guibal, Frédéric Cohen, Nassima Daidj, Richard Aziza, Mostafa El Hajjam, Guillaume Louis, François Goldwasser and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
25citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
4.7field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

25 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 28 citations in OpenAlex.

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  7. Clinical impact of CT-defined sarcopenia on long-term oncological outcomes in gastric cancer: validation of muscle mass cut-offs established according to EWGSOP recommendations.Gastric cancer : official journal of the International Gastric Cancer Association and the Japanese Gastric Cancer Association · 2026
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  13. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of fatty infiltration in paraspinal muscles in spine-specific sarcopenia.Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 10 institutions in 1 country.

Frédéric PigneurDepartment of Medical Imaging, Henri Mondor University Hospitals, AP-HP, Créteil, France.ORCID 0000-0002-5286-7883
Mario Di PalmaCancerology, American Hospital of Paris, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.
Bruno RaynardDepartment of Nutrition, Gustave-Roussy Institute, Villejuif, France.
Aymeric GuibalRadiology, Perpignan Hospital Center, Perpignan, France.
Frédéric CohenRadiology Department, European Hospital of Marseille, Marseille, France.
Nassima DaidjDepartment of Medical Imaging, Paoli-Calmette Institute, Marseille, France.
Richard AzizaDepartment of Medical Imaging, The Toulouse University-Institute of Cancer, Toulouse, France.
Mostafa El HajjamDepartment of Medical Imaging, Ambroise-Paré Hospital, APHP-Paris Saclay, Boulogne, France.
Guillaume LouisDiagnostic and Interventional Medical Imaging, Timone Hospital CHU Marseille, Marseille, France.
François GoldwasserCochin Hospital, AP-HP, CARPEM, Paris Cité University, Paris, France.
Elise DelucheLimoges University Hospital, Limoges, France.
Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille · FRAssistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris · FRCentre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Toulouse · FRCentre Hospitalier de Perpignan · FRHôpital américain de paris · FRHôpitaux Universitaires Henri-Mondor · FRInstitut Gustave Roussy · FRInstitut Paoli-Calmettes · FRUniversité de Limoges · FRUniversité Paris Cité · FR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA common method for diagnosing sarcopenia involves estimating the muscle mass by computed tomography (CT) via measurements of the cross-sectional muscle area (CSMA) of all muscles at the third lumbar vertebra (L3) level. Recently, single-muscle measurements of the psoas major muscle at L3 have emerged as a surrogate for sarcopenia detection, but its reliability and accuracy remain to be demonstrated.

methodsThis prospective cross-sectional study involved 29 healthcare establishments and recruited patients with metastatic cancers. The correlation between skeletal muscle index (SMI = CSMA of all muscles at L3/height

resultsSeven hundred and sixty-six patients were analysed (mean age 65.0 ± 11.8 years, 50.1% female). Low SMI prevalence was 69.1%. Correlation between the SMI and PMI for the entire population was 0.69 (n = 731, P < 0.01). PMI cut-offs for sarcopenia were estimated in the development population at <6.6cm

conclusionsA diagnostic test employing single-muscle measurements of the psoas major muscle as a surrogate for sarcopenia detection was evaluated but found to be unreliable. The CSMA of all muscles must be considered for evaluating cancer sarcopenia at L3.

Indexed as

NeoplasmsSarcopeniaAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesPsoas MusclesReproducibility of ResultsCancer sarcopeniaCT scanL3Low muscle massPsoasSkeletal muscle index

Identifiers

PMID37203274
PMCPMC10401530
OpenAlexW4377093248

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.