RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical value of high frequency ultrasound in diagnosing peripheral nerve diseases (PNDs).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From January 2003 to December 2006, 64 cases of PNDs were analyzed retrospectively. The ultrasound diagnosis was compared with the operative and pathological diagnosis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Based on the operative and histopathological results, in 38 patients with trauma or entrapment, 38 among 45 traumatic nerves were rightly diagnosed by ultrasound. The coincidence rate was 84.4%. In 26 patients with original peripheral nerve tumors (PNTs), including 20 neurilemmomas, 4 neurofibromas and 2 malignant neurilemmomas, 16 cases were diagnosed by ultrasound with a coincidence rate of 61.5%. The coincidence rates in limbs and trunk were 86.7% (13/15) and 27.3% (3/11) respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The study suggests that high frequency ultrasound can locate peripheral nerve trauma precisely, assess the impair degree correctly and provide useful information for clinic diagnosis. The high frequency ultrasound brings better diagnosis outcome in limbs nerve tumors than in trunk.</p>