title: [Value of MRI in diagnosis of obstetrical brachial plexus palsy pre-ganglionic injury].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the value of MRI in diagnosis of obstetrical brachial plexus palsy pre-ganglionic injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  From November 2006 to February 2008, 10 patients with obstetrical brachial plexus palsy were treated, 8 males and 2 females, aged from 2 months to 3 years (11.4 months on average). There were 7 cases of left side and 3 of right side. According to Tassin classification, 2 cases were type II, 6 type III and 2 type IV. All patients were performed MRI examinations before the operation, whose results were compared with those of exploration during the operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MRI examinations showed 1 patient was normal and 9 patients had post-traumatic spinalmeningolcele. The 6 patients had displacement of spinal cord (4 towards the healthy side and 2 towards the sick side), 6 had deformity of spinal cord, and 2 had avulsed nerve root thickening. MRI detected 19 nerve roots were positive, 16 were true positive and 3 false positive in surgical exploration. MRI detected 6 nerve roots were negative, 4 were true negative and 2 false negative in surgical exploration. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of MRI in diagnosis of obstetrical brachial plexus palsy pre-ganglionic injury were 84.2%, 80.0% and 83.3%, respectively. There were significant differences in the results by preoperative MRI examinations and by exploration during the operation (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MRI can show pre-ganglionic injury of brachial plexus of the patients with obstetrical brachial plexus palsy and can supply references for early diagnosis and operation time. MRI can be routinely conducted as a preoperative examination.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Trauma & Microsurgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou Guangdong 510080, PR China.
authors.forename: Bengang
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Liqiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhongwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Honggang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000293:injuries*; D020516:Brachial Plexus Neuropathies / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies