OBJECTIVETo evaluate the application of ultrasonography in diagnosis and treatment of the upper arm radial neuritis.

METHODSFrom 2005.12 to 2011.7, 10 patients of the upper arm radial neuritis were selected and included 6 males and 4 females with an average age of 32 years old ranging from 20 to 40 years. The course of disease ranged from 4 months to 2 years. All patients feel pain on the outside of upper arm. Medical examination showed Tinel's sign masculine, and the muscle force included extension of wrist and fingers were reduced. Upper arm radial neuritis were diagnosed by clinical sign and medical examination. All patients underwent ultrasonography examination, electrophysiology examination and operation. The ultrasonography were compared to the results of electrophysiology examination,and ultrasonography were compared to intra-operative findings and pathology examination.

RESULTSThe ultrasound images showed average diameter of affected limb radial nerve were (0.29+/-0.04) cm, average area were (0.23+/-0.05) cm2, and all of these were greater than uninjured side. Ultrasonograghic findings and orientation of radial neuritis were consistent with intra-operative findings,and the results of ultrasonography were consistent with the results of pathology examination.

CONCLUSIONUltrasonography examination provide morphological evidence for the diagnosis and treatment of the upper arm radial neuritis.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neuritis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Radial Nerve ; diagnostic imaging ; Ultrasonography

The possibility of whether minimal F-wave latency and a simple ratio between the sural and superficial radial sensory response amplitudes may provide a useful electrodiagnostic test in diabetic patients was investigated in this report. To evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity of minimal F-wave latency, the Z-scores of the minimal F-wave latency, motor nerve conduction velocity (MCV), amplitude of compound muscle action potentials (CMAP), and distal latency (DL) of the median, ulnar, tibial, and peroneal nerve were compared in 37 diabetic patients. For the median, ulnar, and tibial nerves, the Z scores of the minimal F-wave latency were significantly larger than those of the MCV. In addition for all four motor nerves, the Z scores of the minimal F-wave latency were significantly larger than those for the CMAP amplitude. Furthermore, 19 subjects showing abnormal results in the standard sensory nerve conduction study had a significantly lower sural/radial amplitude ratio (SRAR), and 84% of them had an SRAR of less than 0.5. In conclusion, minimal F-wave latency and the ratio between the amplitudes of the sural and superficial radial sensory nerve action potential are sensitive measures for the detection of nerve pathology and should be considered in electrophysiologic studies of diabetic polyneuropathy.
Aged ; Diabetic Neuropathies/physiopathology ; Diabetic Neuropathies/diagnosis* ; Electrodiagnosis* ; Female ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Polyneuropathies/physiopathology ; Polyneuropathies/diagnosis* ; Radial Nerve/physiopathology* ; Reaction Time ; Sural Nerve/physiopathology*