title: Clinicopathologic analysis of 124 biopsy-proven peripheral nerve diseases.
abstract: We reviewed dinical, histological and ultrastructural findings of 124 cases of sural nerve biopsy specimens to delineate the trends of peripheral nerve diseases in our institute. Eighty-one were men and 43 were women. We categorized them into five groups: specific diagnosis (66 cases, 53.2%), axonal degeneration type (47 cases, 37.9%), demyelinating type (4 cases, 3.2%), mixed axonal degeneration-demyelinating type (6 cases, 4.8%) and normal (1 case, 0.9%). Cases with specific diagnosis included 21 inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (15 chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy, 6 Guillain-Barre disease), 13 hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (7 Charcot-Marie-Tooth type I, 6 Charcot-Marie-Tooth type II), 10 vasculitis, 6 toxic neuropathy, 4 leprosy, 3 diabetic neuropathy, 2 alcoholic neuropathy, 1 Fabry's disease and other specific diseases (5 cases). In our cases, the proportion of specific diagnoses was higher, while the proportion of demyelinating peripheral neuropathies and normal were lower than those of Western series. The results of this study indicate that 1) a dose clinicopathologic correlation is important to make a precise diagnosis of peripheral nerve biopsy, 2) Biopsy under strict indication may reduce unnecessary histologic examination, 3) There is no difference in disease pattern of peripheral neuropathy between Western people and Koreans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Khang
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Ro
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D002607:Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease / Q000473:pathology; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D000795:Fabry Disease / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015417:Hereditary Sensory and Motor Neuropathy / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D007918:Leprosy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D020277:Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating / Q000473:pathology; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure