Perfusion and intraneural pressure of the sciatic nerve in type 1 diabetes mellitus at a young age: multimodal assessment (ultrasound, MRI)

Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus. It is characterized by damage to peripheral nerves with changes in perfusion and intraneural pressure. The search for new diagnostic tools is an urgent task.

The aim of the study is to assess perfusion and intraneural pressure of the sciatic nerves in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus using a multimodal approach (ultrasound, MRI).

Materials and methods. Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus aged 13–17 years (n = 50). All patients underwent ultrasound examination of the peripheral nerves of the lower extremities twice dynamically, using a greyscale mode, Dopplerography, and shear wave elastography. MRI of the sciatic nerve was performed in patients (n = 20) using diffusion tensor tractography and perfusion methods once.

Conclusions. A multimodal approach (ultrasound, MRI) allows us to characterize sciatic nerve perfusion and intraneural pressure in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Increased MR perfusion of the sciatic nerves is accompanied by an increase in ultrasonic stiffness and the coefficient of ultrasound assessment of peripheral nerves in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

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