Technique of the sural nerve biopsy

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J Foot Ankle Surg. 2007 Mar-Apr;46(2):139-42.

Technique of the sural nerve biopsy.

Bevilacqua NJ, LC, Malik RA, Armstrong DG.

A sural nerve biopsy may be useful to enable the clinician to

diagnose the etiology and underlying pathology of patients

presenting with symptoms of a peripheral neuropathy, when no clear

underlying cause has been determined with conventional assessment

such as electrophysiology or quantitative sensory testing. Given the

prevalence of lower extremity neurological pathology, it is

surprising that few descriptions in the peer-reviewed medical

literature exist on the rationale and technique for biopsy of the

sural nerve. We review the usefulness of this procedure, describe

the technique, and discuss the potential complications.