@article{30542,
  keywords = {leprosy, Pure neuritic leprosy, Sural nerve biopsy, Anaesthetic skin biopsy},
  author = {George S and Ambooken B and Puthussery P V and Nandakumar G and Yogirajan K and Moorthy K P},
  title = {A clinicopathological study of pure neuritic leprosy},
  abstract = {<p>The clinical diagnosis of pure neuritic leprosy (PNL) can be made by the presence of definite nerve enlargement with sensory impairment along the supply of that nerve. But a diagnosis based only on clinical findings should be made with great care because rarely other diseases can cause palpable nerve thickening with/without regional anaesthesia. Therefore, sometimes, histopathological evidence is necessary to establish the correct and definitive diagnosis. Aim of this study was to analyse the histopathology of sural nerve and anaesthetic skin in PNL and to study its clinical pattern. PNL patients were clinically diagnosed andassessed. Sural nerve biopsy was done from the side of the clinical involvement. Skin biopsy was done from the area having maximum sensory impairment. Clinical and histopathological data were analysed. Twentyfive patients were diagnosed and analysed who attended the OPD between September 2001 to February 2003. Sural nerve biopsy was suggestive of leprosy in 13(52%) patients. Among these histopathology suggestive cases, the most common histological picture was of Indeterminate (Ind) type. Skin biopsy from anaesthetic area showed features of leprosy in 10(40%) patients. Sensitivity of combined sural nerve and skin biopsy in diagnosing PNL was 68%. Sural nerve biopsy can be used as a diagnostic aid in PNL if there is involvement of lower limb even if sural nerve is not clinically involved. This can be combined with biopsy from anaesthetic skin so that more number of leprosy cases may be confirmed histopathologically.</p>
},
  year = {2017},
  journal = {Indian journal of leprosy},
  volume = {89},
  pages = {67-75},
  url = {http://www.ijl.org.in/2017/2%20S%20George%20et%20al%20(67-75).pdf},
  language = {eng},
}