title: Doppler sonography for ulnar neuropathy at the elbow.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the value of Doppler sonography for evaluation of ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE).
  
  
  
  A total of 102 patients with a clinical suspicion of UNE and 50 healthy controls were examined by Doppler and gray-scale sonography.
  
  
  
  Intraneural vascularization was found in 31 (46.3%) of 67 patients with confirmed UNE and in 3 (6.0%) of 50 healthy controls. Combining gray-scale sonography measurement of nerve size and the presence of intraneural vascularization increased sensitivity by 3%, but decreased the specificity. Patients with intraneural vascularization had more severe disease than those without intraneural vascularization (P < 0.05). The variables obtained by Doppler sonography were associated with the severity of UNE (P < 0.05).
  
  
  
  Doppler sonography is not helpful for diagnosing UNE but can be used to assess the severity of UNE. Muscle Nerve 54: 258-263, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Fudan University affiliated Huashan Hospital, 12 Urumqi Middle Road, Shanghai, 200012, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, Fudan University affiliated Huashan Hospital, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xiuyue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Fudan University affiliated Huashan Hospital, 12 Urumqi Middle Road, Shanghai, 200012, China.
authors.forename: Weimin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Fudan University affiliated Huashan Hospital, 12 Urumqi Middle Road, Shanghai, 200012, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004550:Elbow / Q000294:innervation*; D004568:Electrodiagnosis; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D020424:Ulnar Neuropathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler
keywords: Doppler sonography; electrodiagnostic testing; gray-scale sonography; intraneural vascularization; peripheral nerve; ulnar neuropathy at the elbow; ultrasound