Role of MR Neurography in Diffuse Peripheral Nerve Lesions of Upper Limb

Abstract

Brachial plexus injuries are nerve injuries in which the nerves and/or the nerve roots of the brachial plexus are damaged. This injury affects the motor and sometimes also sensory functions in the patient’s arm and/or hand, depending on the severity and extent of the injury the first symptoms may vary individually. Brachial plexus injuries are perhaps one of the most difficult management problems faced by neurologists, rehabilitation specialists and reconstructive surgeons. The anatomy of the brachial plexus is extremely complicated and most injuries affect the entire plexus to some degree. In our study we found that the newly introduced specific protocol for imaging of peripheral nerves and plexus called magnetic resonance neurography is a specific and sensitive for wide range of diseases affecting peripheral nerves with better detection and follow up of degeneration and regeneration of the nerve than basic magnetic resonant imaging. The resulted values of newly designed protocol give us functional and numerical marker by which the diagnosis and prognosis will be more suitable.

There is a significant difference between patients and normal persons as regard measured values (ADC&FA), and it means that the magnetic resonance neurography is a specific test which could exclude the actual normal nerve from apparently normal one and diseased one as well.