Visualizing neuromas in the amputated limb with ultrasound imaging

O’Reilly et al. (2018) conclude that high-resolution ultrasound (US) is a clinically useful imaging technique to visualize neuromas in the amputated limb. It efficiently combines ease of access and on-the-spot diagnosis of symptomatic neuromas in a number of settings, out there in the field but also inside/outside the hospital environment. During the US examination, the patient can easily communicate with the operator to distinguish between symptomatic and asymptomatic neuromas. The study of O’Reilly et al. has demonstrated that in the present population of amputees, when considering neuromas, the factors of patient age, time since amputation, the type of amputation, and the neuroma volume were not related to the presence of pain. Importantly, their paper makes the point that the larger neuromas that may be both clinically palpable and easily visible on CT or MRI, are often asymptomatic. High-resolution ultrasound is advocated as the imaging tool of choice to confidently identify symptomatic neuromas and guide clinical management.