Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Nerve Ultrasound Protocol to Detect Dysimmune Neuropathies
Published on: October 7, 2021
Sonographic assessment of nerve blood flow in diabetic neuropathy
A A Borire1, T Issar1, N C Kwai2
1Prince of Wales Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Aims:
To undertake sonographic assessment of nerve blood flow in people with Type 2 diabetes and correlate the findings with neuropathy severity scores and electrophysiological measurements.
Methods:
Median and tibial nerve ultrasound scans were undertaken in 75 people with diabetes and 30 aged-matched controls without diabetes, using a high-resolution linear probe at non-entrapment sites. Nerve blood flow was quantified using power Doppler techniques to obtain the vessel score and the maximum perfusion intensity. Neuropathy severity was assessed using a total neuropathy score.
Results:
Diabetic nerves had higher rates of nerve blood flow detection (28%) compared to the control group (P < 0.0001). Significant correlations were found between nerve blood flow measurements and nerve size (P <0.001), reported sensory symptoms (P < 0.05) and neuropathy severity scores (P < 0.001). The cohort with diabetes had significantly larger median (8.5 ± 0.3 mm2 vs 7.2 ± 0.1 mm2 ; P < 0.05) and tibial nerves (18.0 ± 0.9 mm2 vs 12.8 ± 0.5 mm2 ; P < 0.05) compared with controls.
Conclusion:
Peripheral nerve hypervascularity is detectable by ultrasonography in moderate to severe diabetic neuropathy with prominent sensory dysfunction.
Related Concept Videos
Blood Flow
Blood and Nerve Supply to the Bones
Nutrient Artery
The nutrient artery is the main blood vessel that enters the diaphysis via the nutrient foramen. While most long bones have only one nutrient foramen, large bones, such as the femur, may have two. This...
Blood and Nerve Supply to the Kidney
Bloody Supply to the Kidneys:
The kidneys receive their blood supply from the renal arteries, which branch off from the abdominal aorta—the main artery supplying the abdomen and lower body. The renal arteries enter the kidneys at the hilum, a notch on the medial side of...
Autoregulation of Blood Flow
Chemical Signaling in Autoregulation
Chemical signaling operates at the precapillary sphincter level, inciting either contraction or relaxation....
Assessing Blood pressure in the Leg
Preparation:
Pathophysiology of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility,...

