02470nas a2200349   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001000055653000900065653002200074653002500096653002100121653001100142653001100153653001200164653000900176653001600185653001300201653002700214653001600241100001400257700001300271700001200284700001400296245010700310856005900417300001000476490000700486050003200493520158100525022001402106       2001                            d  c2001 Mar10aAdult10aAged10aAged, 80 and over10aCase-Control Studies10aElectromyography10aFemale10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aNeuritis10aNeurologic Examination10aSural Nerve1 aRamadan W1 aMourad B1 aFadel W1 aGhoraba E00aClinical, electrophysiological, and immunopathological study of peripheral nerves in Hansen's disease.  uhttp://leprev.ilsl.br/pdfs/2001/v72n1/pdf/v72n1a07.pdf  a35-490 v72  aInfolep Library - available3 a<p>Hansen's disease is a disease of peripheral nerves. Some patients develop peripheral neuropathy before the diagnosis of the disease, and others develop these complications after starting therapy. Electrophysiological (EP) studies were carried out in Hansen's disease patients. This work studied the neural deficits, electromyography (EMG) and motor nerve conduction (MNC) variables in different types of leprosy and the immunopathology of sural nerve tissue in patients with severe neural deficits. Forty leprosy patients had neurological examinations and EP study. Histopathological and immunopathological study of sural nerve biopsy specimens was performed for 10 patients with severe neural deficits. The results of the neurological study showed that there was involvement of cranial nerves, muscular system, motor reflexes and sensory system and trophic and vasomotor changes. EP study showed significant changes in EMG of abductor digiti minimi in patients as compared to controls. MNC variables of common peroneal nerve were abnormal in 80% of all patients, MNC of median nerve was abnormal in 72.5%, while MNC of ulnar nerve was abnormal in 70% and SNC of ulnar nerve was abnormal in 77.5% of the total. In conclusion, electrophysiological investigations have an important role in the detection of muscle denervation and neuropathic changes in leprosy patients. These investigations are safe, rapid and non-invasive techniques. On the other hand immunopathological study revealed that the degree of immune positivity correlated with the degree of nerve fibrosis.</p>  a0305-7518