title: Ulnar nerve sonography in leprosy neuropathy.
abstract: A 23-year-old woman presented with a half-year history of right forearm sensory and motor dysfunction. Ultrasound imaging revealed definite thickening of the right ulnar nerve trunk and inner epineurium, along with heterogeneous hypoechogenicity and unclear nerve fiber bundle. Color Doppler exhibited a rich blood supply, which was clearly different from the normal ulnar nerve presentation with a scarce blood supply. The patient subsequently underwent needle aspiration of the right ulnar nerve, and histopathological examination confirmed that granulomatous nodules had formed with a large number of infiltrating lymphocytes and a plurality of epithelioid cells in the fibrous connective tissues, with visible atypical foam cells and proliferous vascularization, consistent with leprosy. Our report will familiarize readers with the characteristic sonographic features of the ulnar nerve in leprosy, particularly because of the decreasing incidence of leprosy in recent years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Sun Yat-Sen University, NO. 58 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease Control, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Da-Yue
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Sun Yat-Sen University, NO. 58 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yang-Yang
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Sun Yat-Sen University, NO. 58 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China. wangw73@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D020424:Ulnar Neuropathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Leprosy; Sonography; Ulnar nerve