Lumbar Plexus in Patients with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy: Evaluation with Simultaneous T Mapping and Neurography Method with SHINKEI

Objective:: To evaluate the usefulness of simultaneous T mapping and neurography with nerve-sheath signal increased with inked rest-tissue rapid acquisition of relaxation enhancement imaging (SHINKEI) in the lumbar plexus to distinguish patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) from healthy controls.

Methods:: Our institutional review boards approved this retrospective study, and written informed consent was waived. 10 patients with CIDP from 2015 to 2017 were studied along with 5 healthy controls on a 3 T scanner. The T relaxation time and the size of the dorsal root ganglia and nerves of the lumbar plexus at L3-S1 were measured. Statistical analyses were performed with the Mann-Whitney U test and a receiver operating characteristics analysis.

Results:: The T relaxation times of the dorsal root ganglia and the nerves of the lumbar plexus were longer in the CIDP patients (133.34  ±  41.36 and 130.40 ± 47.78 ms) compared to the healthy controls (114.69 ± 24.90 and 83.72 ± 17.51 ms, p = 0.0265 and p < 0.0001, respectively). The sizes of the nerves were larger in the CIDP patients (6.19  ±  2.28 mm) compared to the controls (4.54  ±  0.86 mm, p < 0.0001). However, there was no significant difference between the sizes of the ganglia in the CIDP patients and the controls. The receiver operating characteristics analysis revealed that the T relaxation time of the nerves was best at distinguishing the CIDP patients from the controls (Az  =  0.848).

Conclusion:: Patients with CIDP could be distinguished from healthy controls using simultaneous T mapping and neurography with SHINKEI in the lumbar plexus.

Advances In Knowledge:: Patients with CIDP could be distinguished from healthy controls using simultaneous T mapping and neurography with SHINKEI in the lumbar plexus.