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Brachial plexus: correlation of MR imaging with CT and pathologic findings
S Rapoport1, D N Blair, S M McCarthy
1Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510.
Radiology
|April 1, 1988
Summary
Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a valuable tool for diagnosing brachial plexus conditions, often revealing more than computed tomography (CT) and providing definitive diagnoses for trauma and neoplasms.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Neurology
- Oncology
Background:
- Brachial plexus injuries and pathologies can present with complex symptoms.
- Accurate imaging is crucial for diagnosis and treatment planning.
- Conventional imaging modalities like computed tomography (CT) have limitations in evaluating the brachial plexus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for brachial plexus abnormalities.
- To compare the findings of MR imaging with concurrent computed tomography (CT) scans.
- To assess the role of MR imaging in diagnosing neoplasms, trauma, and neural edema of the brachial plexus.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 32 patients with brachial plexus symptoms.
- Evaluation of MR imaging findings in all patients.
- Concurrent CT scans were performed in 16 patients for comparison.
Main Results:
- MR imaging identified 12 neoplasms, 3 cases of trauma, and 1 case of neural edema.
- MR imaging revealed more extensive disease in 6 of 12 neoplasm cases compared to CT.
- MR imaging provided definitive diagnoses in trauma cases and identified a tortuous blood vessel misidentified as a mass on CT.
Conclusions:
- MR imaging is highly effective for diagnosing brachial plexus pathologies, including neoplasms and trauma.
- MR imaging offers superior detail compared to CT in many cases, sometimes obviating the need for further imaging.
- MR imaging can differentiate vascular abnormalities from neoplastic masses and identify neural edema.