Electroneuromyography in Hansen’s Disease
Electroneuromyography is an ancillary test for peripheral nerve function investigation and has a major role in Hansen’s disease diagnosis for defining the pattern and severity of peripheral nerve involvement, indicating the need for surgical treatment strategies, for follow-up during treatment (including for monitoring nerve damage secondary to drugs) and for differentiate worsening or new neuropathies during type-1 and type-2 reactions. Besides that, silent neuropathy can be detected in electroneuromyography without skin lesions, neurologic symptoms, or nerve enlargement. This chapter summarizes in a simplistic way the abnormalities that guide neurophysiological definitions associated to this disease and some of the challenges in interpreting these findings.