title: Different patterns of nerve enlargement in polyneuropathy subtypes as detected by ultrasonography.
abstract: The purpose of our study was to examine how the pathologic type of polyneuropathy affects nerve size as assessed by high-resolution ultrasonography with a 15 MHz transducer. Cross-sectional area (CSA) of the C5-C7 nerve roots and several upper and lower limb nerves at multiple sites was measured in 38 patients with acquired diffuse sensorimotor demyelinating or axonal polyneuropathy and in 34 healthy control subjects. Significant differences were found among the groups for all nerve and root segments: Both types of polyneuropathy are characterized by nerve enlargement in comparison to controls, but in different patterns. In demyelinating polyneuropathies, an additional degree of nerve thickening appears in proximal upper limb nerves and cervical nerve roots compared with axonal polyneuropathies. With respect to the other nerves, a similar degree of nerve enlargement was observed in both patient groups. These results highlight that ultrasonography may be a complementary tool in differentiating polyneuropathies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: erika.scheidl@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scheidl
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Freiberg County Hospital, Freiberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Böhm
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Magdolna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simó
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bereznai
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Dániel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bereczki
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Zsuzsanna
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Arányi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001132:Arm / Q000294:innervation*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000294:innervation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011115:Polyneuropathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014159:Transducers; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Axonal polyneuropathy; Cross-sectional area; Demyelinating polyneuropathy