Beitrag peripherer bildgebender Verfahren zur Diagnose neuromuskulärer Erkrankungen

During the last years high-resolution nerve sonography and magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) comprising peripheral diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) have emerged as promising biomarkers for peripheral nervous system (PNS) visualization. Several studies have thus far conducted to investigate disease-related PNS alterations in hereditary, immune-mediated and acquired axonal neuropathies as well as in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We here review those findings to discuss their impact within the clinical setting. Overall, while MRN is still experimental in nature, nerve ultrasound can already aid in the diagnosis of various neuropathies. Electrophysiology and neuromuscular ultrasound have thus to be considered as ancillary techniques that should be used in a complementary manner in the same neurophysiological lab.