Role of magnetic resonance neurography in diagnosing neuralgic amyotrophy 

Background: To study the characteristics of brachial plexus MRN in patients with NA, and to explore the clinical application value of MRN combined with Electromyography (EMG) in the diagnosis of NA. Methods The brachial plexus MRN images of 32 patients with NA were retrospectively analyzed and their characteristics were investigated. The accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of MRN, EMG and the combination of the two methods in the diagnosis of NA were compared. Results The main feature of MRN in patients with NA was that it was mostly located in the unilateral upper trunk, and the C5 nerve root was the most common. The main features of those involved nerves were the thickening and segmental stenosis of some involved nerves, and the signal intensity on the 3D reconstruction image was higher than that of the surrounding normal nerves. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of MRN for NA were higher than those of EMG. Combining MRN and EMG could improve the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis. Conclusion MRN can visualize the morphological changes of involved nerves in patients with NA. The combined diagnosis of MRN and EMG can help clinicians diagnose NA more accurately.