Intraneural vascularity of the median, ulnar and common peroneal nerve: Microvascular ultrasound and pathophysiological implications

Objectives Changes in the microvascular environment are considered crucial pathogenesis of compression neuropathies. Several studies have demonstrated elevated intraneural vascularity severe neuropathy compared with healthy subjects, where is predominantly undetectable. The aim this study was to assess and quantify vasculature by superb imaging (SMI) volunteers median, ulnar common peroneal nerve. Methods Intraneural quantified 26 (312 segments overall) SMI sonography using a 22-MHz linear transducer. Individual nerve segment mean one-way ANOVA Kruskal–Wallis tests, respectively. Vendor-provided quantification manual vessel count were regression analysis. Results detectable all (100.0%). Vessel density highest median at wrist (1.54 ± 0.44/mm2, P < 0.0001) lowest sulcal (0.90 0.34/mm2, 0.0001). automated severely overestimated vascular content quantification. Conclusion Superb can facilitate visualisation even detect local variations density. pathophysiological implications for peripheral neuropathies, especially warrant further investigation, but absence visible as negative finding diagnostic neuropathies should be interpreted caution, may lie beyond 18 MHz resolution power