01702nas a2200313   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653001000080653001100090653001100101653001200112653000900124653001600133653002200149653001600171653002000187100001400207700001100221700001300232700001500245700001500260245011000275300001000385490000700395520097200402022001401374       2012                            d  c2012 Jul10aAdolescent10aAdult10aElbow10aFemale10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aPeripheral nerves10aUlnar nerve10aUltrasonography1 aVisser LH1 aJain S1 aLokesh B1 aSuneetha S1 aSubbanna J00aMorphological changes of the epineurium in leprosy: a new finding detected by high-resolution sonography.  a38-410 v463 a<p><b>INTRODUCTION: </b>From histopathological studies of peripheral nerves in leprosy, it is known that the epineurium can be thickened. We measured the epineurial thickness of the ulnar nerve by high resolution sonography (HRUS).</p><p><b>METHODS: </b>The epineurium of the ulnar nerve was measured above the elbow on transverse scan in 25 healthy controls and 26 leprosy patients.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>The mean epineurial thickness was 0.77 mm (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.66-0.88) in symptomatic ulnar nerves (n = 20), 0.58 mm (CI 0.51-0.65) in asymptomatic nerves (n = 30), and 0.49 mm (CI 0.44-0.54) in healthy controls (n = 25) (P = 0.0001). This thickening was related to the cross-sectional area of the ulnar nerve, but not with increased blood flow.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS: </b>The epineurium of the ulnar nerve can be measured with the use of HRUS, and it is often strikingly thickened in leprosy patients, especially in those with ulnar involvement.</p>  a1097-4598