TY - JOUR KW - Adolescent KW - Adult KW - Elbow KW - Female KW - Humans KW - leprosy KW - Male KW - Middle Aged KW - Peripheral nerves KW - Ulnar nerve KW - Ultrasonography AU - Visser LH AU - Jain S AU - Lokesh B AU - Suneetha S AU - Subbanna J AB -

INTRODUCTION: 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).

METHODS: The epineurium of the ulnar nerve was measured above the elbow on transverse scan in 25 healthy controls and 26 leprosy patients.

RESULTS: 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.

CONCLUSIONS: 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.

BT - Muscle & nerve C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22644782?dopt=Abstract DA - 2012 Jul DO - 10.1002/mus.23269 IS - 1 J2 - Muscle Nerve LA - eng N2 -

INTRODUCTION: 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).

METHODS: The epineurium of the ulnar nerve was measured above the elbow on transverse scan in 25 healthy controls and 26 leprosy patients.

RESULTS: 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.

CONCLUSIONS: 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.

PY - 2012 SP - 38 EP - 41 T2 - Muscle & nerve TI - Morphological changes of the epineurium in leprosy: a new finding detected by high-resolution sonography. VL - 46 SN - 1097-4598 ER -