Ultrasound of the normal vagus nerve cross-sectional area in the carotid sheath

The aim of this article is to utilize ultrasound to evaluate the normal cross-sectional area (CSA)of the vagus nerve (VN) in the carotid sheath. This study included 86 VNs in 43 healthy subjects (15 men, 28 women); mean age 42.1 years and mean body mass index 26.2 kg/m2. For each subject, the bilateral VNs were identified by US at the anterolateral neck within the common carotid sheaths. One radiologist obtained 3 separate CSA measurements for each of the bilateral VNs with complete transducer removal between each measurement. Additionally, for each participant, demographic information of age and gender as well as body mass index, weight, and height were documented. The mean CSA of the right VN in the carotid sheath was 2.1 and 1.9 mm2 for the left VN. The right VN CSA was significantly larger than the left VN (P < .012). No statistically significant correlation was noted in relation to height, weight, and age. We believe that the reference values for the normal CSA of the VN obtained in our study, could help in the sonographic evaluation of VN enlargement, as it relates to the diagnosis of various diseases affecting the VN.

[1]  S. Zanos,et al.  Strategies for precision vagus neuromodulation , 2022, Bioelectronic medicine.

[2]  H. Lv,et al.  Vagus nerve ultrasound in transthyretin familial amyloid polyneuropathy: A pilot study , 2021, Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging.

[3]  R. Itabashi,et al.  Cross-sectional area of the vagus nerve on carotid duplex ultrasound and atrial fibrillation in acute stroke: A retrospective analysis , 2021, eNeurologicalSci.

[4]  E. Drakonaki,et al.  Normal anatomy, variants and factors associated with the cervical vagus nerve topography: a high-resolution ultrasound study , 2021, Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy.

[5]  M. Elsayed,et al.  Vagus nerve ultrasonography in Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis , 2021, Autonomic Neuroscience.

[6]  K. Fan,et al.  Treatment of intractable hiccups using combined cervical vagus nerve and phrenic nerve blocks ultrasound guidance. , 2021, Minerva anestesiologica.

[7]  R. Gold,et al.  Cross‐sectional area reference values for peripheral nerve ultrasound in adults: A systematic review and meta‐analysis—Part III: Cervical nerve roots and vagal nerve , 2021, European journal of neurology.

[8]  D. Hartl,et al.  Ultrasound visualization of the vagus nerve for intraoperative neuromonitoring in thyroid surgery , 2020, European Radiology.

[9]  W. Mess,et al.  The cross-sectional area of the vagus nerve is not reduced in Parkinson's disease patients , 2020, medRxiv.

[10]  M. Naumann,et al.  Ultrasound Detection of Vagus Nerve Atrophy in Bulbar Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis , 2020, Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging.

[11]  L. Cui,et al.  Vagus Nerve Ultrasound in Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy and Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth Disease Type 1A , 2020, Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging.

[12]  V. Macefield,et al.  In vivo recordings from the human vagus nerve using ultrasound‐guided microneurography , 2020, The Journal of physiology.

[13]  B. Bordoni,et al.  Anatomy, Head and Neck, Anterior Vagus Nerve , 2019 .

[14]  S. Dudea,et al.  Ultrasound appearance of peripheral nerves in the neck: vagus, hypoglossal and greater auricular , 2019, Medicine and pharmacy reports.

[15]  Tsung-Lin Yang,et al.  Transcutaneous Sonography for Detection of the Cervical Vagus Nerve , 2019, Ear, nose, & throat journal.

[16]  J. Classen,et al.  Axonal Degeneration of the Vagus Nerve in Parkinson's Disease—A High-Resolution Ultrasound Study , 2018, Front. Neurol..

[17]  M. Löhle,et al.  Atrophy of the Vagus Nerve in Parkinson's Disease Revealed by High-Resolution Ultrasonography , 2018, Front. Neurol..

[18]  O. Witte,et al.  Ultrasonography of the Vagus Nerve in Parkinson's Disease , 2018, Front. Neurol..

[19]  T. Taguchi,et al.  The vagus nerve becomes smaller in patients with Parkinson's disease: A preliminary cross-sectional study using ultrasonography. , 2018, Parkinsonism & related disorders.

[20]  J. Classen,et al.  Sonographic evaluation of the vagus nerves: Protocol, reference values, and side‐to‐side differences , 2018, Muscle & nerve.

[21]  F. Walker,et al.  Diagnostic Ultrasound of the Vagus Nerve in Patients with Diabetes , 2017, Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging.

[22]  H. Axer,et al.  Nerve ultrasound as follow‐up tool in treated multifocal motor neuropathy , 2017, European journal of neurology.

[23]  G. Boeckxstaens,et al.  The Vagus Nerve in Appetite Regulation, Mood, and Intestinal Inflammation. , 2017, Gastroenterology.

[24]  E. Tawfik,et al.  Vagus nerve ultrasound in a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , 2016, Muscle & nerve.

[25]  K. Rijkers,et al.  Morphology of the human cervical vagus nerve: implications for vagus nerve stimulation treatment , 2016, Acta neurologica Scandinavica.

[26]  P. Fuhr,et al.  Ultrasound and electrophysiologic findings in patients with Guillain–Barré syndrome at disease onset and over a period of six months , 2016, Clinical Neurophysiology.

[27]  P. Fuhr,et al.  Long-term observations in asymmetric immune-mediated neuropathy with vagus hypertrophy using ultrasound of the nerves , 2015, Journal of the Neurological Sciences.

[28]  Francis O. Walker,et al.  Neuromuscular Ultrasound of Cranial Nerves , 2015, Journal of clinical neurology.

[29]  H. Axer,et al.  Nerve ultrasound for differentiation between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multifocal motor neuropathy , 2015, Journal of Neurology.

[30]  H. Axer,et al.  Ultrasound of the peripheral nerves in systemic vasculitic neuropathies , 2014, Journal of the Neurological Sciences.

[31]  Byung-Jo Kim,et al.  Pattern analysis of nerve enlargement using ultrasonography in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy , 2014, Clinical Neurophysiology.

[32]  H. Axer,et al.  Ultrasonography of the peripheral nervous system in the early stage of Guillain‐Barré syndrome , 2014, Journal of the peripheral nervous system : JPNS.

[33]  T. Hsiao,et al.  Neck ultrasonography for the evaluation of the etiology of adult unilateral vocal fold paralysis , 2012, Head & neck.

[34]  Jeong Hyun Lee,et al.  Clinical significance of vagus nerve variation in radiofrequency ablation of thyroid nodules , 2011, European Radiology.

[35]  F. Walker,et al.  Diagnostic nerve ultrasound in Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease type 1B , 2009, Muscle & nerve.

[36]  F. Walker,et al.  Cross‐sectional area reference values for nerve ultrasonography , 2008, Muscle & nerve.

[37]  C. Martinoli,et al.  Sonography of the cervical vagus nerve: normal appearance and abnormal findings. , 2001, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.