MR microneurography and quantitative T2 and DP measurements of the distal tibial nerve in CIDP.

OBJECTIVE

In this study we investigated the potential of magnetic resonance (MR) micro-neurography to detect morphological and relaxometric changes in distal tibial nerves in patients affected with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), and their associations with clinical and electrophysiological features.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

10 subjects affected with CIDP and 10 healthy subjects were examined. Multiple MR parameters, including the number of fascicles (N), fascicles diameter (FD), total fascicles area (FA), epineurium area (EA), total nerve area (NA), fascicles to nerve ratio (FNR) and quantitative T2 and proton density (PD) were investigated on high resolution MR images of the distal tibial nerve. Those parameters were correlated with clinical scores, age of onset, disease duration and electrophysiologic data.

RESULTS

Median NA and FA were significantly increased in the CIDP population (median values for NA in cm in CIDP: 0.185; controls: 0.135; p: 0.028; for FA in CIDP 0.136; controls 0.094; p: 0.021). There was no correlation between the parameters investigated and clinical or electrophysiologic features.

CONCLUSION

MR microneurography can detect increased total nerve and fascicle area in distal tibial nerves in CIDP and may be useful for diagnosing CIDP.