Pudendal nerve and branch neuropathy: magnetic resonance neurography evaluation.
Pudendal neuralgia is being increasingly recognized as a cause of chronic pelvic pain, which may be related to nerve injury or entrapment. Due to its complex anatomy and branching patterns, the pudendal nerve abnormalities are challenging to illustrate. High resolution 3 T magnetic resonance neurography is a promising technique for the evaluation of peripheral neuropathies. In this article, the authors discuss the normal pudendal nerve anatomy and its variations, technical considerations of pudendal nerve imaging, and highlight the normal and abnormal appearances of the pudendal nerve and its branches with illustrative case examples.
1 Department of Radiology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
Vibhor
V
Wadhwa
2 Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Aws S
AS
Hamid
3 Department of Radiology, Yale New Haven Health System at Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA.
Yogesh
Y
Kumar
4 Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Kelly M
KM
Scott
2 Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Avneesh
A
Chhabra
D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D060525:Pudendal Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
Pudendal nerve; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); magnetic resonance neurography; pelvic pain; pudendal neuralgia