02279nas a2200397   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001900055653003000074653002100104653002200125653001100147653002200158653001100180653002300191653001200214653002500226653000900251653002200260653002200282653003900304653001400343653002400357653000900381100001300390700001500403700001600418700001400434245013100448856005900579300001000638490000700648050003200655520118000687022001401867       1999                            d  c1999 Mar10aBiopsy, Needle10aDrug Therapy, Combination10aElectromyography10aElectrophysiology10aFemale10aFollow-Up Studies10aHumans10aLeprostatic Agents10aleprosy10aLongitudinal studies10aMale10aNeural Conduction10aPeripheral nerves10aPeripheral Nervous System Diseases10aPrognosis10aSensation Disorders10aSkin1 aSamant G1 aShetty V P1 aUplekar M W1 aAntia N H00aClinical and electrophysiological evaluation of nerve function impairment following cessation of multidrug therapy in leprosy.  uhttp://leprev.ilsl.br/pdfs/1999/v70n1/pdf/v70n1a05.pdf  a10-200 v70  aInfolep Library - available3 a<p>Seventeen multibacillary (MB) and 15 paucibacillary (PB) cases of leprosy who had had regular and adequate multidrug therapy (MDT) were examined clinically and electrophysiologically at periodic intervals for 1 year following cessation of MDT. All the major nerves were assessed for nerve function impairment (NFI). Overall, two MB (13.3%) and three PB (20%) cases showed signs of deterioration clinically and/or electrophysiologically. The nerve conduction (NC) follow-up studies revealed no significant improvement in the sensory conduction in both the MB and PB groups of nerves, whilst motor conduction showed a significant improvement at the first 6-monthly follow-up among the MB group of nerves. At the study onset, sensory impairment (MB = 62%, PB = 25%) predominated over motor in terms of both severity and frequency. The lower extremity was more frequently and severely affected than the upper in both groups of patients. As an individual test, NC measurement proved to be more sensitive in detecting NFI, but the combination of physical palpatation for nerve thickening and graded nylon test (GNT) was closely comparable to measurement of nerve conduction.</p>  a0305-7518