01368nas a2200217   4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653002600059653001100085653001200096653002500108653002200133100001200155700001800167700001700185245012400202300001100326490000700337520079200344022001401136       1989                            d  c1989 Jul-Sep10aEndothelium, Vascular10aHumans10aleprosy10aMicroscopy, Electron10aPeripheral nerves1 aKumar V1 aNarayanan R B1 aMalaviya G N00aAn ultrastructural study of blood vessels in peripheral nerves of leprosy patients: blood vessels in peripheral nerves.  a179-840 v583 a<p>Ultrathin sections of nerves of tuberculoid and lepromatous leprosy were examined in an electron microscope for changes in endoneural blood vessels. In the tuberculoid nerves, hypertrophy of endothelial cells was the most prominent feature. This was to such an extent that the lumen of blood vessel was often closed. Endoneural blood vessels showed multilayers separated by collagen and ground substances. In contrast, in the lepromatous nerves, there was no hypertrophy of endothelial cells in the blood vessels and the lumen of the vessels was open. M. leprae were seen within the endothelial cells and these organisms were intact and probably viable. These observations suggest a possible involvement of endoneural blood vessels which may contribute to nerve damage in leprosy.</p>  a0386-3980