The value of magnetic resonance neurography in evaluation of sciatic neuropathy
Abstract Background Sciatic neuropathy is one of the most common neuropathies of the lower extremities. One of the most common presentations of sciatic neuropathy is foot drop and may also be associated with several other clinical (sensory and/or motor) presentations. In recent years, magnetic reson...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2023-02-01
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| Series: | The Egyptian Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43055-023-00974-6 |
| _version_ | 1811166025980313600 |
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| author | Esraa Hessin Youssef Abd El-Azeem Rasha Aly Saleh Reda Alarabawy Hanan Mohamed Saleh El-Ahwal |
| author_facet | Esraa Hessin Youssef Abd El-Azeem Rasha Aly Saleh Reda Alarabawy Hanan Mohamed Saleh El-Ahwal |
| author_sort | Esraa Hessin Youssef Abd El-Azeem |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Sciatic neuropathy is one of the most common neuropathies of the lower extremities. One of the most common presentations of sciatic neuropathy is foot drop and may also be associated with several other clinical (sensory and/or motor) presentations. In recent years, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has established itself as an important tool for the study of peripheral nerves, especially after the development of protocols including sequences optimized for this purpose, referred to as magnetic resonance neurography (MRN), being used as noninvasive means of diagnosing peripheral nerve disease. Such high-resolution imaging protocols aimed to image the nerves at hip, thigh, knee, leg, ankle, and foot and can demonstrate traumatic or iatrogenic injury, tumor-like lesions, or entrapment of the nerves, causing a potential loss of motor and sensory function in the affected area. This study aimed to be familiar with MRI and MRN findings in patients with sciatic neuropathy. Results In this prospective study, thirty patients presented with clinical manifestations and/or electrophysiological studies having sciatic neuropathy and underwent MRI and MRN at a university Hospital from March 2021 to March 2022. In view of clinical presentation, muscle weakness (66.67%), numbness and tingling (60%), and sensory manifestation (60%) were the most prevalent presenting manifestation followed by back pain (43.33%), foot drop (33.33%), and urinary and bowel incontinence (23.33%). MRN and MRI results showed a strong correlation with the presenting symptoms of participants, in the form of increased sciatic nerve caliber in 23.33%, muscular atrophy in 13.33%, nerve root impingement in 26.67%, and lumbar spondylosis in 36.67%. MR neurography sequences gave additional findings to the conventional MRI in the form of increased nerve signal intensity in 53.33%, perineural edema in 50% of cases, neural structure disruption in 26.67%, muscular impend denervation in 16.67%, bone marrow edema in 30.33%, pseudo-meningocele in 13.33%, and nerve root avulsion in 3.33% with no correlated findings in MRI. Conclusions MRN is an additional accurate tool in the study of different sciatic nerve diseases and can also give detailed knowledge of the nerve anatomy, adding value to electrophysiological studies and conventional MRI. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:45:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c80b97f0fa064f4fabb4a4e2aeaab244 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2090-4762 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:45:42Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Egyptian Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-c80b97f0fa064f4fabb4a4e2aeaab2442023-02-12T12:07:25ZengSpringerOpenThe Egyptian Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine2090-47622023-02-015411810.1186/s43055-023-00974-6The value of magnetic resonance neurography in evaluation of sciatic neuropathyEsraa Hessin Youssef Abd El-Azeem0Rasha Aly Saleh1Reda Alarabawy2Hanan Mohamed Saleh El-Ahwal3Faculty of Medicine, Tanta UniversityDepartment of Radio-Diagnosis and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta UniversityDepartment of Radio-Diagnosis and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta UniversityDepartment of Radio-Diagnosis and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta UniversityAbstract Background Sciatic neuropathy is one of the most common neuropathies of the lower extremities. One of the most common presentations of sciatic neuropathy is foot drop and may also be associated with several other clinical (sensory and/or motor) presentations. In recent years, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has established itself as an important tool for the study of peripheral nerves, especially after the development of protocols including sequences optimized for this purpose, referred to as magnetic resonance neurography (MRN), being used as noninvasive means of diagnosing peripheral nerve disease. Such high-resolution imaging protocols aimed to image the nerves at hip, thigh, knee, leg, ankle, and foot and can demonstrate traumatic or iatrogenic injury, tumor-like lesions, or entrapment of the nerves, causing a potential loss of motor and sensory function in the affected area. This study aimed to be familiar with MRI and MRN findings in patients with sciatic neuropathy. Results In this prospective study, thirty patients presented with clinical manifestations and/or electrophysiological studies having sciatic neuropathy and underwent MRI and MRN at a university Hospital from March 2021 to March 2022. In view of clinical presentation, muscle weakness (66.67%), numbness and tingling (60%), and sensory manifestation (60%) were the most prevalent presenting manifestation followed by back pain (43.33%), foot drop (33.33%), and urinary and bowel incontinence (23.33%). MRN and MRI results showed a strong correlation with the presenting symptoms of participants, in the form of increased sciatic nerve caliber in 23.33%, muscular atrophy in 13.33%, nerve root impingement in 26.67%, and lumbar spondylosis in 36.67%. MR neurography sequences gave additional findings to the conventional MRI in the form of increased nerve signal intensity in 53.33%, perineural edema in 50% of cases, neural structure disruption in 26.67%, muscular impend denervation in 16.67%, bone marrow edema in 30.33%, pseudo-meningocele in 13.33%, and nerve root avulsion in 3.33% with no correlated findings in MRI. Conclusions MRN is an additional accurate tool in the study of different sciatic nerve diseases and can also give detailed knowledge of the nerve anatomy, adding value to electrophysiological studies and conventional MRI.https://doi.org/10.1186/s43055-023-00974-6Sciatic neuropathySciatic nerve diseasesPeripheral nervesMagnetic resonance imagingMagnetic resonance neurography |
| spellingShingle | Esraa Hessin Youssef Abd El-Azeem Rasha Aly Saleh Reda Alarabawy Hanan Mohamed Saleh El-Ahwal The value of magnetic resonance neurography in evaluation of sciatic neuropathy The Egyptian Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Sciatic neuropathy Sciatic nerve diseases Peripheral nerves Magnetic resonance imaging Magnetic resonance neurography |
| title | The value of magnetic resonance neurography in evaluation of sciatic neuropathy |
| title_full | The value of magnetic resonance neurography in evaluation of sciatic neuropathy |
| title_fullStr | The value of magnetic resonance neurography in evaluation of sciatic neuropathy |
| title_full_unstemmed | The value of magnetic resonance neurography in evaluation of sciatic neuropathy |
| title_short | The value of magnetic resonance neurography in evaluation of sciatic neuropathy |
| title_sort | value of magnetic resonance neurography in evaluation of sciatic neuropathy |
| topic | Sciatic neuropathy Sciatic nerve diseases Peripheral nerves Magnetic resonance imaging Magnetic resonance neurography |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43055-023-00974-6 |
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