Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33410965›Full record

ArticleSkeletal radiology2021

Morphology of the entering and exiting nerve as a differentiating feature of benign from malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours of the brachial plexus.

I Pressney, M Khoo, R Khan, P Abernethy, R Hargunani, A Saifuddin

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Article in Skeletal radiology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 36% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

I PressneyDepartment of Radiology, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Brockley Hill, Stanmore, Middlesex, HA7 4LP, UK. ianpressney@nhs.net.
M KhooDepartment of Radiology, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Brockley Hill, Stanmore, Middlesex, HA7 4LP, UK.
R KhanDepartment of Radiology, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
P AbernethyDepartment of Radiology, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, Plymouth, UK.
R HargunaniDepartment of Radiology, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Brockley Hill, Stanmore, Middlesex, HA7 4LP, UK.
A SaifuddinDepartment of Radiology, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Brockley Hill, Stanmore, Middlesex, HA7 4LP, UK.
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital · GBSheikh Shakhbout Medical City · AEUniversity College London · GBUniversity Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo identify if morphology of the entering and exiting nerve involved by a nerve sheath tumour in the brachial plexus can help differentiate between benign (B) and malignant (M) peripheral nerve sheath tumours (PNSTs). MATERIALS AND

methodsRetrospective review of 85 patients with histologically confirmed primary PNSTs of the brachial plexus over a 12.5-year period. Clinical data and all available MRI studies were independently evaluated by 2 consultant musculoskeletal radiologists blinded to the final histopathological diagnosis assessing for maximal lesion dimension, visibility and morphology of the entering and exiting nerve, and other well-documented features of PNSTs.

resultsThe study included 47 males and 38 females with mean age 46.7 years (range, 8-81 years). There were 73 BPNSTs and 12 MPNSTs. The entering nerve was not identified in 5 (7%), was normal in 17 (23%), was tapered in 38 (52%) and showed lobular enlargement in 13 (18%) BPNSTs compared with 0 (0%), 0 (0%), 2 (17%) and 10 (83%) MPNSTs respectively. The exiting nerve was not identified in 5 (7%), was normal in 20 (27%), was tapered in 42 (58%) and showed lobular enlargement in 6 (8%) BPNSTs compared with 4 (33%), 0 (0%), 2 (17%) and 6 (50%) MPNSTs respectively. Increasing tumour size, entering and exiting nerve morphology and suspected MRI diagnosis were statistically significant differentiators between BPNST and MPNST (p < 0.001). IOC for nerve status was poor to fair but improved to good if normal/tapered appearance were considered together with improved specificity of 81-91% for BPNST and sensitivity of 75-83%.

conclusionsMorphology of the adjacent nerve is a useful additional MRI feature for distinguishing BPNST from MPNST of the brachial plexus.

Indexed as

Brachial PlexusNerve Sheath NeoplasmsNeurofibrosarcomaFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesMagnetic resonance imagingMalignant peripheral nerve sheath tumourNeurofibromaNeurofibromatosisNF-1Schwannoma

Identifiers

PMID33410965
OpenAlexW3119768087

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.