Clinical, Electrophysiological, and Sonographic Findings in Patients With Nerve Injury After Vessel Puncture

This study aimed to describe the clinical, electrophysiological, and ultrasonographic findings of patients with nerve injury after vessel puncture.

Data on ten patients (three males and seven females) with nerve injury after vessel puncture were reviewed. Demographic and clinical data were analyzed retrospectively. Bilateral electrophysiological studies were performed based on clinical findings. Ultrasonographic examinations were performed on both the affected and unaffected sides of the injured nerve.

The nerves of nine patients were injured following vein puncture, and injury occurred following arterial sampling in one patient. Seven patients had superficial radial sensory nerve injury: five medial, one lateral, and one at both branches. One patient had injury to the dorsal ulnar cutaneous nerve, one to the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve, and one to the median nerve. Nerve conduction studies produced abnormal findings in 80% of patients, whereas ultrasonographic examinations produced abnormal findings in all of the patients. Spearman's coefficient for the correlation between the amplitude ratio and nerve cross-sectional area ratio was not significant, at -0.127 (95% confidence interval=-0.701 to 0.546, p=0.721).

Ultrasonography supported by electrodiagnosis was found to be a useful method for identifying the lesion location and structural abnormalities of vessel-puncture-related neuropathy.