Relation between electrophysiological findings and diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging in ulnar neuropathy at the elbow.

Aim: As only a limited number of studies have used diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE), the present study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of the non-invasive DWI technique in patients with UNE.

Methods: A total of 26 elbows in 19 healthy controls (age range: 22-56 years) with no symptoms and 24 elbows in 21 symptomatic patients (age range: 21-46 years) with cubital tunnel syndrome underwent DWI. The electrophysiological and clinical criteria for the diagnosis of UNE were examined.

Results: No pathological signal from the ulnar nerve was detected in the healthy controls, whereas there was an increase in signals on DWI in all patients with UNE. On T2-weighted (T2W) imaging, there was increased signal intensity in 20 elbows, while low signal intensity was observed in the remaining four. A positive correlation was found between disease duration and presence of hyperintensity (P=0.044, r=0.42) on T2W images.

Conclusion: DWI can be used together with electrophysiological methods for the diagnosis of UNE. Furthermore, DWI might be preferred in some cases, as it is non-invasive compared with the electrophysiological method for UNE diagnosis.