Clinical application of magnetic resonance neurography in peripheral nerve disorders

Recent advances in the technology of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (MRI) have made the diagnostic evaluations for peripheral nerve disorders shift from the clinical and physiological examination to the anatomical study. As a sensitive noninvasive tool, MR neurography could directly display high-resolution longitudinal and cross-sectional images of peripheral nerves, including nerve compression, nerve inflammation, nerve trauma, nerve recovery, and systemic neuropathies, thereby the morphology of intraneural and extraneural lesions can be visualized. Thus neurologists, as well as specialist radiologists, should be highly familiar with the various new types of image findings in this steadily advancing field. The purpose of this review is to overview how to evaluate peripheral nerve problems with MR neurography and its current limitations and advances in experimental MR research. The techniques for peripheral nerve MR neurography will also be discussed.