01412nas a2200181   4500000000100000008004100001653001200042653001500054653003000069100001500099700001300114700001400127245003300141300001000174490000700184520102500191022001401216       2016                            d10aleprosy10aNeuropathy10aNerve function assessment1 aGarbino JA1 aHeise CO1 aMarques W00aAssessing nerves in leprosy.  a51-580 v343 a<p>Leprosy neuropathy is dependent on the patient's immune response and expresses itself as a focal or multifocal neuropathy with asymmetric involvement. Leprosy neuropathy evolves chronically but recurrently develops periods of exacerbation during type 1 or type 2 reactions, leading to acute neuropathy. Nerve enlargement leading to entrapment syndromes is also a common manifestation. Pain may be either of inflammatory or neuropathic origin. A thorough and detailed evaluation is mandatory for adequate patient follow-up, including nerve palpation, pain assessment, graded sensory mapping, muscle power testing, and autonomic evaluation. Nerve conduction studies are a sensitive tool for nerve dysfunction, including new lesions during reaction periods or development of entrapment syndromes. Nerve ultrasonography is also a very promising method for nerve evaluation in leprosy. The authors propose a composite nerve clinical score for nerve function assessment that can be useful for longitudinal evaluation.</p>
  a1879-1131