Reliability of peripheral intraneural microhemodynamics evaluation by using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the study was to validate the reliability of quantitative intraneural enhancement patterns by using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS).


METHODS
Nine asymptomatic wrists underwent a total of three CEUS examinations each conducted at 1-month intervals. The CEUS enhancement pattern of median nerves was quantitatively evaluated. The area under the time-intensity curve was calculated by placing the regions of interest at the proximal, center, and distal regions of the median nerve. An intra-class correlation coefficient for intra-observer, inter-observer, and inter-examination reproducibility was calculated.


RESULTS
The intra- and inter-observer reproducibility was almost perfect. Inter-examination reproducibility of the proximal, center, and distal regions was 0.891, 0.614, and 0.535, respectively. In this study, we found that the reproducibility of the distal and center regions of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel was lower than that of the proximal region.


CONCLUSIONS
High intra-observer, inter-observer, and inter-examination reproducibility of CEUS was obtained in the evaluation of the intraneural enhancement pattern when the region of interest was placed in the proximal region of the median nerve.
Department of Radiological Technology, Hokkaido University Hospital, N14 W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan. ishizaka-kk@huhp.hokudai.ac.jp.
Kinya
K
Ishizaka
Division of Laboratory and Transfusion Medicine, Hokkaido University Hospital, N14 W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan.|Diagnostic Center for Sonography, Hokkaido University Hospital, N14 W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan.
Mutsumi
M
Nishida
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
Makoto
M
Motomiya
Department of Radiological Technology, Hokkaido University Hospital, N14 W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan.|Diagnostic Center for Sonography, Hokkaido University Hospital, N14 W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan.
Megumi
M
Satoh
Division of Laboratory and Transfusion Medicine, Hokkaido University Hospital, N14 W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan.|Diagnostic Center for Sonography, Hokkaido University Hospital, N14 W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan.
Mamiko
M
Inoue
Division of Laboratory and Transfusion Medicine, Hokkaido University Hospital, N14 W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan.|Diagnostic Center for Sonography, Hokkaido University Hospital, N14 W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan.
Yusuke
Y
Kudoh
Division of Laboratory and Transfusion Medicine, Hokkaido University Hospital, N14 W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan.|Diagnostic Center for Sonography, Hokkaido University Hospital, N14 W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan.
Satomi
S
Omotehara
Department of Radiological Technology, Hokkaido University Hospital, N14 W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan.|Diagnostic Center for Sonography, Hokkaido University Hospital, N14 W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan.
Tatsunori
T
Horie
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
Tadanao
T
Funakoshi
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
Norimasa
N
Iwasaki
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019540:Area Under Curve; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*; D014953:Wrist / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000294:innervation
D003287:Contrast Media
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound; Intraneural vascularity; Median nerve; Reproducibility