MRI reconstruction neurography in peripheral neuropathies with nerve enlargement

Abstract

In order to assess distribution and patterns of nerve hypertrophy in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), magnetic resonance neurography with 3–demension reconstruction of short tau inversion recovery images was performed in 40 CIDP patients. This technique clearly showed longitudinal morphological changes from the cervical roots to the nerve trunks in the proximal arm. Nerve enlargement was detected in 92% of the patients. Typical CIDP patients showed symmetric and root–dominant hypertrophy, whereas patients with multifocal acquire demyelinating sensory and motor neuropathy had multifocal fusiform hypertrophy in the nerve trunks. The patterns of nerve hypertrophy presumably reflects the different pathophysiology of each CIDP subtypes.