International Journal of General Medicine (Jun 2022)
Value of High-Resolution MRI in the Diagnosis of Brachial Plexus Injury in Infants and Young Children
Abstract
Qun Lao,1 Yuzhu Jia,2 Kaiyu Zhao,1 Kun Liu,3 Jianju Feng4 1Department of Radiology, Hangzhou Children’s Hospital, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Radiology, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Radiology, Zhuji Affiliated Hospital of Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jianju Feng, Department of Radiology, Zhuji Affiliated Hospital of Shaoxing University, 9 Jianmin Road, Zhuji, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8615068560519, Email [email protected]: To investigate the value of high-resolution MRI based on 3D-short inversion time inversion recovery sampling perfection with application-optimized contrasts (3D-STIR SPACE) sequence for the diagnosis of brachial plexus injury in infants and young children.Methods: Physical examination, electromyography (EMG) and MRI data of 26 children with brachial plexus injury were retrospectively analyzed. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated for the three tests. The agreement among these examinations was analyzed with the Kappa test. P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Of the 26 children, 3 cases had normal MRIs, 23 cases had unilateral brachial plexus injury diagnosed with MRI, and a total of 73 nerve roots and/or sheaths were involved. Among the 23 cases with aberrant MRI findings, there were 19 cases of nerve root thickening (42 nerve roots), 4 cases of nerve root sleeve expansion (5 nerve roots), 17 cases of pseudomeningeal cysts (34 nerve roots), 2 cases of nerve root loosening (2 nerve roots), 8 cases of nerve root dissection (11 nerve roots), 19 cases with increased nerve signal (43 nerve roots), and 9 cases with an increased signal of the muscles on the affected side. As for the diagnosis of brachial plexus injury, the sensitivity and the accuracy of physical examination, EMG and MRI were 0.92, 0.86, and 0.88, respectively. The agreement between MRI and physical examination was substantial (κ=0.780, P=0.000), as did the agreement between MRI and EMG (κ=0.611, P=0.005).Conclusion: High-resolution MRI based on 3D-STIR SPACE sequence plays a role in the diagnosis and evaluation of brachial plexus injury in infants and young children. It can accurately identify the injured nerve and characterize related pathological alterations. Besides EMG and physical examination, it can be used as a valuable tool for screening and monitoring of brachial plexus injury in infants and children.Keywords: brachial plexus, injury, MRI, children
