Sural Nerve Biopsy research news

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Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2005 Apr;107(3):214-217.

Diagnostic and therapeutic value due to suspected diagnosis, long-

term complications, and indication for sural nerve biopsy.

Ruth A, Schulmeyer FJ, Roesch M, Woertgen C, Brawanski A.

Department of Neurosurgery, University of Regensburg, Franz-f-

Strauss-Allee 11, D-93042 Regensburg, Germany.

In order to elicit the usefulness of sural nerve biopsy we

retrospectively evaluated the courses of disease of every patient,

who underwent this procedure in our department between January 1995

and March 2000. Sixty seven patients with the suspected diagnosis of

peripheral neuropathy could be included. From these chart reviews and

patient questionings were done.

Inflammatory-demyelinating neuropathies were suspected in 14 patients

(20.9%), specific histological findings confirmed diagnosis in 50% of

these patients and resulted in therapy.

In cases of polyneuropathy of unknown etiology (46 patients, 68.6%)

diagnosis was made in 11 patients (23.9%), and lead to therapy in 9

patients (19.6%), merely. In all, diagnostic consequences arouse in

32.8%, therapeutic consequences in 26.9%.

The follow-up of 47 patients (mean 24.4 months) found chronic pain in

the distribution of the sural nerve in 14 patients (29.8%),

dysesthesia in 22 patients (46.8%), and persistent sensory loss in 34

patients (72.3%). Only 24 patients (51.1%) would submit to biopsy

again.

Because of high complication rates and poor results we conclude that

sural nerve biopsy should be done only in carefully selected cases

after thorough clinical work-up, and should be limited to cases of

suspected inflammatory neuropathies, collagenoses and immunologic

neuropathies, and hereditary neuropathies.