title: Leprosy neuropathy evaluated by NCS is independent of the patient's infectious state.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leprosy causes nerve injury, which mimics clinical and neurophysiological conditions, rendering it an excellent model of peripheral neuropathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study including 822 nerve conduction studies (NCS) of 509 patients was developed to appraise the electrophysiological pattern of leprosy neuropathy. NCS of motor and sensory nerves performed before, during, and after multidrug therapy (MDT) were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the three periods of MDT, while NCS alterations were similar regarding extension, topography, damage severity, and type of lesion, NCS showed that sensory was more frequent (sural nerve) (92-96%) than motor impairment (70-77%) (ulnar nerve).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Once axonal loss has been installed, nerve function is little affected by inflammatory, immune and/or bacterial events since chronic neuropathy has been established, inevitably leading to the well-known leprosy sequelae occurring at any time before and/or after leprosy diagnosis.
authors: Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Department of Neurology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Electronic address: jardim.mm@gmail.com.
authors: M R
authors: MR
authors: Jardim
authors: Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Department of Neurology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Vital
authors: Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Hacker
authors: Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Nascimento
authors: Department of Neurology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: S L
authors: SL
authors: Balassiano
authors: Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: E N
authors: EN
authors: Sarno
authors: Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: X
authors: X
authors: Illarramendi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020422:Mononeuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D020424:Ulnar Neuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Conduction block; Leprosy; Mononeuropathy multiplex; Nerve conduction study; Peripheral neuropathy