Abstract: Objective To examine the correlation between the ultrasonic feature of tibial nerve and the scores of Michi⁃ gan neuropathy screening instrument（MNSI）in type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) and to provide information for early diagno⁃ sis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy（DPN）. Methods Based on scores of MNSI, 95 cases of T2DM patients were divided into three different groups: group B（0-2.4 scores）, C（2.5-4.4 scores）and D（≥4.5 scores）. Ultrasound parameters of group A (n=30) were compared with group B (n=32), group C (n=31) and group D (n=32). These parameters includes nerves′s an⁃ teroposterior dimension, transverse diameter, cross-sectional area and fasciculus echo, the "screen cloth" structure, epineuri⁃ um and the demarcation with neighbourhood structures. Correlation of MNSI with ultrasound performance of tibia nerve was also tested. Results Compared with group A, transverse diameter in group B did not show a obvious change, but anteropos⁃ teror dimension, transverse diameter, cross-sectional area in group C, group D all increase.（P < 0.05）. Compared with group B，ultrasound alteration were more frequent in group C and group D（P < 0.05）, but there was no statistical difference on that between group C and group D（P > 0.05）. There was a positive correlation between the nerves′s anteroposterior di⁃ mension, transverse diameter, cross-sectional area with MNSI, rs were 0.656、0.657 and 0.681 respectively (P < 0.05 in all three cases). Conclusion Certain correlation was observed between MNSI and tibial never ultrasonic feature in T2DM pa⁃ tients; the higher MNSI scores , the greater chance of presence of abnormal sonographic features of tibial nerve.

Key words: words, diabetes mellitus, type 2, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, ultrasonograpy, doppler, color, tibial nerve, michigan neuropathy screening instrument