High ultrasound variability in chronic immune-mediated neuropathies. Review of the literature and personal observations

Abstract

Chronic immune-mediated neuropathies show high clinical variability. Diagnosis is based on clinical and neurophysiological studies, but recently ultrasound (US) of peripheral nerves has been shown to provide useful morphological information. US has already been shown to crucially influence diagnosis and clinical care in entrapment neuropathies, in traumatic nerve lesions and in tumors. The role of US in the evaluation of polyneuropathies is still not clearly defined, but increasing attention has recently been focused on the immune-mediated neuropathies and specific US measures (namely the intra- and inter-nerve cross-sectional area variability) have been developed. The aim of the current paper is to make a review of the available nerve US studies and provide data from personal observations in the most common chronic immune-mediated neuropathies.

Keywords: CIDP; MMN; Neuropathie vasculitique; Neuropathies paraprotéinémiques; Neurophysiologie; Neurophysiology; Paraproteinemic neuropathies; Ultrasons; Ultrasound; Vasculitic neuropathy.