Comparable morphometric data of pathological nerve obtained using the three-wind

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Microsc Res Tech. 2008 May 1

Comparable morphometric data of pathological nerve obtained using the

three-window sampling method and total fiber quantification.

Agthong S, Chentanez V, Koonam J, Kaewsema A.

Peripheral Nerve Research Unit, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of

Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.

Morphometric analysis of nerve biopsy provides data of structural

changes that are essential for early detection of peripheral

neuropathy. Because of the laborious work associated with the total

fiber quantification, various sampling methods have been introduced

with controversial accuracy.

Three-window sampling technique has been recently proposed to provide

the accurate morphometric data of normal human sural nerve. However,

its application in the diseased nerve has not been validated.

This study, therefore, compared the morphometric data of nerve

biopsies from 12 patients with various neuropathies obtained using

this sampling method and those obtained by total fiber analysis.

Total number, density, and diameter of myelinated fibers including

myelin thickness and g ratio were analyzed. Intraclass correlation

coefficients ranging from 0.95 to 0.99 indicate the high agreement

between the data derived from the two methods in these parameters.

This finding suggests the accuracy of the three-window sampling

technique in the morphometric study of nerve with pathological

alterations.