TY - JOUR KW - Adolescent KW - Adult KW - Aged KW - Biopsy KW - Female KW - Hand KW - Humans KW - Leprosy, Tuberculoid KW - Male KW - Middle Aged KW - Paralysis KW - Peripheral Nervous System Diseases KW - Ulnar nerve AU - Freitas M R AU - Nascimento O J AU - Drago M J AU - Freitas A R AU - Hahn M D AB -

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.

BT - Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9850754?dopt=Abstract DA - 1998 Sep DO - 10.1590/s0004-282x1998000400011 IS - 3B J2 - Arq Neuropsiquiatr LA - por N2 -

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.

PY - 1998 SP - 585 EP - 94 T2 - Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria TI - [Ulnar nerve palsy in leprosy without skin changes: biopsy of the superficial branch of the ulnar nerve in the hand]. VL - 56 SN - 0004-282X ER -