title: Meralgia paresthetica: 3-Tesla magnetic resonance neurography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the diagnostic accuracy and observer performance of 3-Tesla magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) in the evaluation of meralgia paresthetica (MP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two independent readers were blinded to the clinical diagnosis and evaluated the MRN studies of the pelvis of 11 patients with MP and 28 control participants. In each study, the lateral femoral cutaneous nerves were assessed for signal alteration and/or neuroma formation, indicating lateral femoral cutaneous neuropathy, at various levels along their course. Intra- and inter-observer reliability was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both readers exhibited substantial intraobserver agreement in detecting signal alterations and neuroma formation of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN). The readers demonstrated moderate interobserver agreement in detecting signal alteration of the LFCN and poor interobserver agreement in diagnosing neuroma formation. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of LFCN neuropathy diagnosis were ≥ 71 % and ≥ 94 % for both readers respectively. The diagnostic test accuracy was ≥ 90 % for both readers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  3-Tesla MRN provides reliable and accurate diagnostic evaluation of meralgia paresthetica.
authors.affiliation: Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. achhabr6@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Avneesh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chhabra
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Del Grande
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Soldatos
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chalian
authors.forename: Allan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Belzberg
authors.forename: Eric H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Farahani S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Jalali
authors.forename: Gaurav K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Thawait
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eng
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Carrino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003943:Diagnostic Techniques, Neurological / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000151:congenital* / Q000473:pathology; D015588:Observer Variation; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016037:Single-Blind Method