Charcot-Marie-Tooth and Nerve Ultrasound
Paper recently published in Muscle and Nerve about nerve ultrasound findings in 70 CMT and HNPP patients.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Nerve ultrasound in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) has mostly focused on upper limbs. We performed an evaluation of a large cohort of CMT patients in which we sonographically characterized nerve abnormalities in different disease types, ages and nerves.
Methods: Seventy patients affected by different CMT types and hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP) were evaluated, assessing median, ulnar, fibular, tibial and sural nerves bilaterally. Data were correlated with age.
Results: Nerve dimensions were correlated with CMT type, age and nerve site. Nerves were larger in demyelinating than in axonal neuropathies. Nerve involvement was symmetric.
Discussion: CMT1 patients had larger nerves than did patients with other CMT types. Patients with HNPP showed enlargement at entrapment sites. Our study confirms the general symmetry of ultrasound nerve patterns in CMT. When compared with ultrasound studies of nerves of the upper limbs, evaluation of the lower limbs did not provide additional information. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.