title: Intra- and internerve cross-sectional area variability: new ultrasound measures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nerve involvement in immune-related neuropathies is non-homogeneous, and therefore characterization of ultrasound (US) abnormalities is difficult. We developed two measures to quantify US abnormalities in immune-related neuropathies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intranerve cross-sectional area (CSA) variability for each nerve was calculated as: maximal CSA/minimal CSA. Internerve CSA variability for each patient was calculated as: maximal intranerve CSA variability/minimal intranerve CSA variability. Six patients underwent US evaluation of the median, ulnar, and fibular nerves, and the abnormalities were scored with our newly developed measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The new measures were applicable to all nerves and patients. The highest degree of intra- and internerve CSA variability was observed in multifocal motor neuropathy, consistent with the asymmetric characteristics of this neuropathy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The application of intra- and internerve CSA variability measures allows us to quantify the heterogeneity of nerves and nerve segments and identify different US patterns in diverse immune-related neuropathies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy. lpadua@rm.unicatt.it
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Padua
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martinoli
authors.forename: Costanza
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pazzaglia
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lucchetta
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Granata
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Erra
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Briani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve; D008875:Middle Aged; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010543:Peroneal Nerve; D011115:Polyneuropathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D014459:Ulnar Nerve; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*