Abstract
Examination of the brachial plexus with ultrasound is efficient because it allows
many parts of the brachial plexus as well as the surrounding soft tissues to be assessed
with high spatial resolution. The key to performing good ultrasound of the brachial
plexus is being familiar with the anatomy and the common variants. That makes it possible
to concentrate solely on the ultrasound appearances free of simultaneously wondering
about the anatomy. Ultrasound of the brachial plexus is particularly good for assessing
nerve sheath tumor, perineural fibrosis, metastases, some inflammatory neuropathies,
neuralgic amyotrophy, and posttraumatic sequalae. It is limited in the assessment
of thoracic outlet syndrome and in the acute/subacute trauma setting. This review
addresses the anatomy, ultrasound technique, as well as pathology of the brachial
plexus from the cervical foramina to the axilla.
Keywords
ultrasound - brachial plexus - axilla - anatomy - diagnosis
