Neuromuscular Ultrasound in Polyneuropathies.
Yasmin K Nasr-EldinMichael S CartwrightAhmed HamedLamia Hamdy AliAhmed M Abdel-NasserPublished in: Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (2024)
Neuromuscular ultrasound is a painless, radiation-free, high-resolution imaging technique for assessing the peripheral nervous system. It can accurately depict changes in the nerves and muscles of individuals with neuromuscular conditions, and it is therefore a robust diagnostic tool for the assessment of individuals with polyneuropathies. This review will outline the typical ultrasonographic changes found in a wide variety of polyneuropathies. In general, demyelinating conditions result in greater nerve enlargement than axonal conditions, and acquired conditions result in more patchy nerve enlargement compared to diffuse nerve enlargement in hereditary conditions. This review is data-driven, but more nuanced anecdotal findings are also described. The overall goal of this paper is to provide clinicians with an accessible review of the ultrasonographic approaches and findings in a wide variety of polyneuropathies.