High-Resolution Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Surgical Management of Ulnar Neuropathy at the Elbow.

High-resolution ultrasound (HRU) has recently demonstrated the potential to facilitate diagnosis and treatment of upper extremity compression neuropathy. The authors hypothesized that HRU can improve preoperative evaluation of ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE) and that changes in ulnar nerve cross-sectional area (CSA) after cubital tunnel release may correlate with outcomes. Nineteen adult patients diagnosed with UNE who were scheduled for surgical decompression by a single hand surgeon were enrolled. Electrodiagnostic (EDX) testing, HRU of the ulnar nerve, Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) score, and McGowan grade were obtained pre- and postoperatively. Fourteen patients completed the study. Statistically significant improvements were found in CSA measurements and QuickDASH scores. High-resolution ultra-sound was found to confirm UNE in all 7 patients with positive results on EDX, and additionally detected UNE in 3 of 6 patients with negative results on EDX and in 1 patient with equivocal (nonlocalized) EDX testing. All 4 of these additional HRU-detected cases improved clinically and by CSA measurements after surgery. In this series, HRU was superior to EDX testing in the diagnosis of UNE and demonstrated objective improvement in ulnar nerve CSA after successful cubital tunnel release. This modality, which is better tolerated, less costly, and less time-consuming than EDX testing or magnetic resonance imaging, should therefore be considered in the diagnosis and surgical management of UNE, particularly in cases with negative or equivocal results on EDX testing, or when outcomes are suboptimal. [Orthopedics. 2021;44(5):285-288.].

Radiation-Induced Painful Neurogenic Hypertrophy Treated With Botulinum Toxin A.

Painful neurogenic hypertrophy is a rare complication of radiation therapy. We report a 27-year-old woman with a history of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the submandibular gland presented with painful twitching of her left shoulder. Electrodiagnostic studies were consistent with a diagnosis of radiation-induced spinal accessory nerve hyperactivity. The patient failed conventional medical therapy. She was treated with an injection of botulinum toxin A, and within 1 month experienced significant relief of symptoms. We thus conclude that Botulinum toxin is a therapeutic option for the pain associated with radiation-induced peripheral nerve hyperactivity.

Rapid reversal of uremic neuropathy following renal transplantation in an adolescent.

Clinical and pathologic studies on adults with uremic neuropathy are numerous, but less is known about this disorder in children and adolescents. We report the clinical, electrophysiologic, and pathologic findings in an adolescent female with uremic neuropathy. Electrophysiologic findings were consistent with a primarily axonal sensorimotor polyneuropathy. Sural nerve biopsy revealed areas of focal depletion in myelin sheaths and loss of axons. Axonal degeneration with secondary myelin changes appears to be the characteristic pathology in this case, one of the youngest to our knowledge for which nerve biopsy data are available. Our patient experienced dramatic recovery after renal transplantation, similar to the reports of older patients.