01777nas a2200277   4500000000100000008004100001260002000042653003500062653002500097653003200122653002300154653002100177100001500198700001700213700001100230700001400241700001400255700001600269245005100285856009100336300001400427490000700441050001600448520102100464022001401485       2004                            d  c09/2004bScielo10aSensory nerve action potential10aNear nerve technique10aMinimum conduction velocity10aLeprosy neuropathy10aFull text online1 aArruda APM1 aMarques Jr W1 aFoss N1 aGarbino J1 aVirmond M1 aBarreira AA00aNear nerve potencial of sural nerve in leprosy  uhttp://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2004000400001&nrm=iso  a571 - 5740 v62  aARRUDA 20043 aLeprosy neuropathy is characterized by initial involvement of the small nerve fibers, later followed by involvement of the large fibers, when routine nerve conduction studies become abnormal. To increase the diagnostic yield and precocity of these studies, we applied the near nerve technique to the sural nerve of 8 leprosy patients. Contrary to our expectations, the main component of the sural nerve sensory action potential was abnormal in all patients, but the minimum conduction velocity originating from small 3-6 mm fibers was normal or only mildly involved in three patients. Also, although Schwann cells are the first to be involved in leprosy, the results are suggestive of axonal degeneration instead of demyelination. To better understand the neurophysiology and physiology of leprosy and to increase the accuracy and precocity of the diagnosis, it will be necessary to investigate patients in the very early stages of the disease and to correlate these findings with the corresponding nerve pathology.   a0004-282X