02141nas a2200229 4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653001500054653001200069653002100081653002100102653001500123653001200138100001600150700001300166700001200179245005800191300001200249490000700261520162900268022001401897 2023 d c01/202310aDisability10aleprosy10aNerve conduction10aNerve thickening10aNeuropathy10aoutcome1 aChaudhary S1 aKalita J1 aMisra U00aRole of Nerve Conduction Studies in Hansen's Disease. a458-4620 v713 a

Background and Objective: To report the role of nerve conduction study (NCS) in diagnosis, monitoring, and prognosis of Hansen's disease (HD).

Materials and Methods: In a hospital-based prospecive observational study, the patients with HD as per World Health Organization (WHO) criteria were included; muscle wasting power, reflexes, and sensations were recorded. Motor NCS of median, ulnar, and peroneal nerves and sensory NCS of ulnar, median, and sural nerves were recorded. Disability was graded using WHO grading scale. The outcome was assessed after 6 months using modified Rankin scale.

Results: In the present study, 38 patients with a median age of 40 (15-80) years and five females were included. The diagnosis was tuberculoid in seven, borderline tuberculoid in 23, borderline lepromatous in two, and borderline in six patients. The disability was grade 1 and 2 in 19 patients each. Out of 480 nerves studied, NCS was normal in 139 sensory (57.4%) and 160 (67.2%) motor nerves. NCSs were axonal in seven sensory and eight motor nerves, demyelinating in three nerves, and mixed in one in seven patients who had lepra reaction. NCS findings did not correlate with disability (p = 1.0) or outcome (0.304) and provided additional information in 11 nerves (seven patients). Peripheral nerves were enlarged in 79. NCSs were normal in 32 (29.90%) in thickened nerves.

Conclusion: In HD, NCS abnormalities correlated with respective sensory or motor abnormality but related with neither disability nor the outcome.

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