title: Role of MRI in detection of Morton's neuroma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Distinguishing between patients with a true Morton's neuroma and other forefoot pathology can be difficult. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) when compared to clinical examination for Morton's neuroma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively identified 71 patients who underwent operative treatment due to the diagnosis of Morton's neuroma between 2007 and 2013. All patients had a MRI preoperative. Our study group comprised 58 female and 13 male patients with a mean age of 57 (range, 38-92) years. We compared the results of preoperative MRI and the patient's clinical assessment with postoperative histopathological results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Typical clinical signs were found in 65 cases. Most common symptoms were plantar pain (92%) and increased pain on walking (89%). A Morton's neuroma was detected on MRI in 59 of 71 cases. Its sensitivity was 0.84 and its specificity was 0.33. The positive and negative predictive values were 0.97 and 0.08, respectively. For the presence of main clinical symptoms we found a sensitivity of 0.94 and a specificity of 0.33. The positive predictive value was 0.97 and the negative predictive value was 0.20.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MRI under routine conditions had a good detection rate for the evaluation of Morton's neuroma. However, its accuracy was not as high as the accuracy of clinical assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level IV, retrospective series.
authors: Hannover Medical School, Orthopedic department, Hannover, Germany leif.claassen@ddh-gruppe.de.
authors: Leif
authors: L
authors: Claassen
authors: Hannover Medical School, Orthopedic department, Hannover, Germany.
authors: Kilian
authors: K
authors: Bock
authors: Hannover Medical School, Orthopedic department, Hannover, Germany.
authors: Max
authors: M
authors: Ettinger
authors: Hessing Foundation, Clinic for Foot and Ankle Surgery, Augsburg, Germany.
authors: Hazibullah
authors: H
authors: Waizy
authors: Hannover Medical School, Orthopedic department, Hannover, Germany.
authors: Christina
authors: C
authors: Stukenborg-Colsman
authors: Hannover Medical School, Orthopedic department, Hannover, Germany.
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Plaass
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009463:Neuroma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D010524:Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: MRI; Morton’s neuroma; clinical symptoms