Evaluation of clinical, EMG and MR neurography findings in brachial plexopathy

Abstract

Objective: The aim of our study was to correlate the results of MR neurography with electrodiagnostic testing in order to determine the usefulness of MR neurography. Method: 50 patients with suspected plexopathy who underwent electrodiagnostic test were included in the study. In MR neurography, the course, calibration, signal intensity and continuity of the brachial plexus at the root, trunk and cord level were evaluated by 2 independent radiologists. Results: The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of MR neurography in the analysis performed by using the electrodiagnostic test gold standard diagnostic test; for the 1st reader, 64%, 45.16%, 94.73%, respectively; for the 2nd reader, 74%, 67.74%, 84.21%, respectively. Inter-reader consistency was to be 78%. Conclusion: In patients with clinical suspicion of brachial plexopathy, the sensitivity of MR and the agreement between readers was found to be moderate. MR neurography of the brachial plexus may show brachial plexopathy, but normal MR neurography appearance of the plexus should not exclude the diagnosis of plexopathy.

Keywords

• brachial plexus
• plexopathy
• MR neurography
• electrodiagnostic test

Brakial pleksopatide klinik, EMG ve MR nörografi bulgularının değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Amaç: Çalışmanın amacı brakial pleksopatide MR nörografi sonuçlarını elektrodiagnostik test ile birlikte değerlendirmek ve MR nörografinin yararlığını saptamaktır. Yöntem: Brakial pleksopati şüphesi bulunan ve elektrodiagnostik test yapılan 50 hasta çalışmaya dahil edildi. MR nörografide Brakiyal pleksusun kök, gövde ve kord seviyesinde seyri, kalibrasyonu, sinyal yoğunluğu ve devamlılığı 2 bağımsız radyolog tarafından değerlendirildi. Bulgular: Elektrodiagnostik test altın standart tanı testi kabul edilerek yapılan analizde MR nörografinin tanısal doğruluk, duyarlılık, özgüllüğü; 1. okuyucu için sırasıyla %64, %45.16, %94.73; 2. okuyucu için sırasıyla %74, %67.74, %84.21 idi. Okuyucular arası tutarlılık %78 idi. Sonuç: Brakial pleksopati klinik şüphesi bulunan hastalarda MR’ın duyarlılığı ve okuyucular arasındaki uyum orta derecede bulundu. MR nörografi brakial pleksopatiyi gösterebilir ancak pleksusun normal görünümü pleksopati tanısını dışlamamalıdır.

Keywords

• brakial pleksus
• pleksopati
• MR nörografi
• elektrodiagnostik test

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