01789nas a2200337   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653000900080653001100089653001100100653000900111653001100120653002500131653000900156653001600165653001400181653003900195653001600234100001600250700001900266700001400285700001600299700001300315245012200328300001100450490000700461520096900468022001401437       1998                            d  c1998 Sep10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAged10aBiopsy10aFemale10aHand10aHumans10aLeprosy, Tuberculoid10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aParalysis10aPeripheral Nervous System Diseases10aUlnar nerve1 aFreitas M R1 aNascimento O J1 aDrago M J1 aFreitas A R1 aHahn M D00a[Ulnar nerve palsy in leprosy without skin changes: biopsy of the superficial branch of the ulnar nerve in the hand].  a585-940 v563 a<p>Leprosy is one of the most common diseases of peripheral nerves in the world. In Brazil it is particularly frequent, being a major health problem. In tuberculoid leprosy the ulnar nerve is the most common affected nerve. Sometimes there are no skin changes. In these cases in spite of nerve thickening only the nerve biopsy is capable to make a specific diagnosis. We performed a biopsy in the dorsal sensory branch of the ulnar nerve in the hand in 17 patients with ulnar palsy with thickening of the nerve in the elbow, without skin changes. The pathological findings consisted mainly of: loss of fibers (14 cases), inflammatory infiltration (13), fibrosis (12), demyelination and remyelination (9), presence of granuloma (6) and presence of bacilli (5 cases). We conclude that in case of ulnar nerve palsy in leprosy without skin changes, the biopsy of the dorsal sensory branch of this nerve in the hand is a good procedure for the diagnosis of leprosy.</p>  a0004-282X