Abstract
Although neuropathy remains one of the most problematic issues faced by leprosy patients, the evolving process of its findings continues a challenge particularly in pure neural leprosy (PNL). We evaluated neurological examination, nerve conduction studies and histhopathological data of patients with PNL and ulnar neuropathy. Patients with longer duration of symptoms had reduction in the motor conduction velocities and patients with fibrosis in the biopsy had axonal damage in the nerve conduction studies. This suggests that focal demyelination may be present in leprosy patients at the moment of the diagnosis and be related to the duration of the neuropathy.
Highlights
Leprosy neuropathy is a chronic infectious disorder of the peripheral nerve system, caused by the intracellular pathogen Mycobacterium leprae entry and persistence in the nerve microenvironment [1]
Nerve conduction studies and histopathological data of patients with pure neural leprosy (PNL) and ulnar neuropathy
Fifteen patients diagnosed with PNL through the dorsal cutaneous branch of the ulnar (DCUB) biopsy were included
Summary
Leprosy neuropathy is a chronic infectious disorder of the peripheral nerve system, caused by the intracellular pathogen Mycobacterium leprae entry and persistence in the nerve microenvironment [1]. Because of the absence of skin lesions, the diagnosis of PNL is sometimes challenging and, nerve conduction studies (NCS) are an important tool to evaluate the presence and extension and degree of nerve impairment in clinics [4]. NCS are considered an extension of the clinical examination as they can infer the underlying pathophysiology of the neuropathy They are important to indicate whether it is caused by axonal degeneration, demyelination or both [5]. Many researchers have shown the presence of axonal patterns in leprosy neuropathy nerve conduction studies (NCS) [3,4,6] Recently it has been more frequently described by our group and others, that demyelinating patterns could occurs in early stages of the disease [7,8]
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