Search

Purpose. This study was conducted to evaluate the ability of sonography to visualize the ulnar nerve at Guyon's canal and the common pero- neal nerve dorsal to the fibular head and to test for correlations between nerve measurements and sub- ject characteristics. Methods. We used a 5-12-MHz linear-array trans- ducer in sonographic evaluation of 15 healthy adult volunteers. We evaluated the correlations between nerve diameters and surface areas and subject body mass index and height. We also tested for differences between nerve measurements in women and men and between nerve measurements from the left and right sides of the body. Results. Both nerves were visualized in all subjects. Subject height correlated significantly with the antero- posterior diameter of the right ulnar nerve. Body mass index correlated significantly with the surface area of both ulnar nerves, with the anteroposterior diameter of both ulnar nerves, with the transverse diameter of the left ulnar nerve, and with the trans- verse diameter of the right common peroneal nerve. There was a statistically significant difference in antero- posterior diameter of the left ulnar and left common peroneal nerves between women and men. There were no significant differences between left- and right-side measurements for the combined data from the entire group of subjects. Conclusions. A 5-12-MHz linear-array transducer readily allows for visualization of the ulnar nerve at Guyon's canal and the common peroneal nerve dor- sal to the fibular head. a 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 32:375-380, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/jcu.20054

Purpose Sonographic calculation of thyroid volume is used in the diagnosis and follow-up of thyroid diseases. Since the calculated volume of thyroid lobes is highly influenced by the longest (ie, craniocaudal) diameter, we examined whether using a curved-array transducer as opposed to a linear-array transducer to measure the craniocaudal diameter would reduce interobserver variation. Methods Three sonographers with different levels of expertise each used a 5–12-MHz linear-array transducer and a 2–5-MHz curved-array transducer to measure the craniocaudal diameter of both thyroid lobes of 25 healthy volunteers. On the basis of these measurements, thyroid lobe volumes were calculated. Single-factor analysis of variance was used to evaluate the interobserver variations between the measurements made by all 3 observers as well as between measurements taken by pairs of observers. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results Using the linear-array transducer to measure the craniocaudal diameter resulted in significant interobserver variation in thyroid volume calculation (p = 0.02), whereas using the convex-array transducer did not. Using either transducer resulted in a highly significant interobserver variation in measurements of the craniocaudal diameter, although the variation was far more pronounced for measurements made with the linear-array transducer (p = 0.0005) than for those made with the curved-array transducer (p = 0.04). For both transducers, the interobserver variations were most pronounced between the most and the least experienced sonographers. Conclusions To avoid significant interobserver variation in calculating thyroid lobe volume, we recommend using a curved-array transducer to measure the craniocaudal diameter of the thyroid lobes. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 31:189–193, 2003