RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 MRI shows increased sciatic nerve cross sectional area in inherited and inflammatory neuropathies
JF Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
JO J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 1283
OP 1286
DO 10.1136/jnnp.2010.211334
VO 82
IS 11
A1 C D J Sinclair
A1 M A Miranda
A1 P Cowley
A1 J M Morrow
A1 I Davagnanam
A1 H Mehta
A1 M G Hanna
A1 M Koltzenburg
A1 M M Reilly
A1 T A Yousry
A1 J S Thornton
YR 2011
UL http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/82/11/1283.abstract
AB Measurements of the cross sectional area of the sciatic nerve are described in a group of 10 patients with genetically confirmed Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A), nine patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and 10 healthy controls using MRI. One mid-thigh of each individual was imaged using a short tau inversion recovery sequence and the nerve appearance evaluated radiologically with respect to the signal intensity and visibility of the internal neural structure. The cross sectional area of the sciatic nerve of each individual was measured by defining irregular enclosing regions of interest on the MRI images. The sciatic nerve area was enlarged in both CMT1A (p<0.001) and CIDP (p=0.008) compared with controls and in CMT1A compared with CIDP (p<0.001). Median (interquartile range) areas were 67.6 (16.2) mm2 for the CIDP group, 135.9 (46.5) mm2 for the CMT1A group and 43.3 (19.9) mm2 for the control group. The critical upper value for discriminating pathologically enlarged nerves from normal controls with p<0.05 was 64.4 mm2. Quantification of sciatic nerve hypertrophy on MRI may be of assistance in cases where the diagnosis is still in doubt, providing an objective pathological marker complimenting other clinical investigations.