Ann Rehabil Med.  2016 Apr;40(2):362-367. 10.5535/arm.2016.40.2.362.

Does C5 or C6 Radiculopathy Affect the Signal Intensity of the Brachial Plexus on Magnetic Resonance Neurography?

• Seo TG
• Kim DH
• Kim IS
• Son ES

• KMID: 2309938
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5535/arm.2016.40.2.362

Abstract

Patients with C5 or C6 radiculopathy complain of shoulder area pain or shoulder girdle weakness. Typical idiopathic neuralgic amyotrophy (INA) is also characterized by severe shoulder pain, followed by paresis of shoulder girdle muscles. Recent studies have demonstrated that magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) of the brachial plexus and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the shoulder in patients with INA show high signal intensity (HSI) or thickening of the brachial plexus and changes in intramuscular denervation of the shoulder girdle. We evaluated the value of brachial plexus MRN and shoulder MRI in four patients with typical C5 or C6 radiculopathy. HSI of the brachial plexus was noted in all patients and intramuscular changes were observed in two patients who had symptoms over 4 weeks. Our results suggest that HSI or thickening of the brachial plexus and changes in intramuscular denervation of the shoulder girdle on MRN and MRI may not be specific for INA.

Keyword

Cervical radiculopathy; Magnetic resonance imaging

MeSH Terms

Brachial Plexus Neuritis
Brachial Plexus*
Denervation
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Muscles
Paresis
Radiculopathy*
Shoulder
Shoulder Pain

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Images of case 1. (A) C5-6 intervertebral disc herniation (arrow) compressing the left C6 root. (B) High signal intensity (HSI) in the C6 root (arrowheads) on coronal T2 short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) image. (C) HSI in the supraspinatus (asterisk) on coronal T2 STIR image.

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  Fig. 2 Images of case 2. (A) C4-5 intervertebral disc herniation (arrow) compressing the right C5 root. (B) High signal intensity in the C5 root (arrowheads) on coronal T2 short-tau inversion recovery image.

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  Fig. 3 Images of case 3. (A) Right C4-5 foraminal stenosis (arrow) compressing the C5 root. (B) High signal intensity (HSI) in the C5 root (arrowheads) on coronal T2 short-tau inversion recovery image. (C) HSI in the infraspinatus (asterisk) on axial T2-weighed image.

• 

  Fig. 4 Images of case 4. (A) Left C5-6 foraminal stenosis (arrow) compressing the C6 root. (B) Thickening of the C6 root (arrowheads) on coronal T2 short-tau inversion recovery image.

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