Leprosy(Hansen. Disease) is chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It produces significant damage to the superficial nerves, the skin, the anterior third of eye, the upper respiratory tract, and testis. Peripheral neuropathy
in
leprosy patients cause serious complication such as amputation, skin ulcer, Electrophysiologic study for the peripheral neuropathy in acute leprosy patients are well known. But there is few electrophysiologic study in the chronic leprosy
patients.
We
performed nerve conduction studies in 21 cured leprosy patients who have been managed with Dapsone for long time (mean 35 years).
@ES The results are followed:
1) All 21 patients complained sensory symptom, but only 2 patients complained motor symptom.
2) In motor nerve conduction study, median nerve showed abnormal findings in 26 of 41 cases(63.4%), ulnar nerve showed abnormal findings in 26 of 41 (63.3%) cases, peroneal nerve showed abnormal findings in 27 of 34(70.4%) cases, and posterior
tibial
nerve showed abnormal findings in 26 of 36(72.2%) cases.
3) In sensory nerve conduction study, median nerve showed abnormal findings in 36 of 41 cases(87.8%), ulnar nerve showed abnormal findings in 35 of 39(89.7%) case, superficial radial nerve showed abnormal findings in 25 of 39(64.1%) cases,
superficial
peroneal nerve showed abnormal findings in 32 of 34(94.1%) cases, and sural nerve showed abnormal findings in all 35 cases.
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