CT Scans of Shoulders in Patients with Brachial Plexus Injuries
Author Information
Author(s): Nath Rahul K, Humphries Andrea D
Primary Institution: Texas Nerve and Paralysis Institute
Hypothesis
How accurate are radiologic reports in diagnosing shoulder deformities in patients with obstetric brachial plexus injuries?
Conclusion
Radiological reports often fail to accurately diagnose shoulder deformities in patients with obstetric brachial plexus injuries, highlighting the need for specialist evaluations.
Supporting Evidence
- Only 40% of radiological reports accurately diagnosed SHEAR deformity.
- 93% of patients with significant posterior subluxation were misdiagnosed.
- 5% of reports were complete, accurately diagnosing both SHEAR and posterior subluxation.
- Radiologists using 3-D CT images had a higher accuracy rate in diagnosing SHEAR.
- Clinical evaluations showed 98% accuracy compared to 40% for radiological reports.
Takeaway
Doctors used special 3D CT scans to look at kids' shoulders, but many times the reports were wrong, so it's important to have a specialist check them.
Methodology
Retrospective study comparing radiologic reports with clinical evaluations and measurements from CT scans.
Potential Biases
Radiologists may lack familiarity with the specific bony sequelae of obstetric brachial plexus injuries.
Limitations
The study only included patients with available complete CT records and may not represent all OBPI cases.
Participant Demographics
28 females and 15 males, mean age 5.4 years (range 1.0 – 12.5).
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% confidence interval for accuracy rates provided in the study.
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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