Open AccessPure neuritic leprosy: Resolving diagnostic issues in acid fast bacilli (AFB)-negative nerve biopsies: A Single centre experience from South India
Author(s) -
Monalisa Hui,
Megha S Uppin,
Sundaram Challa,
A K Meena,
Subhash Kaul
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
annals of indian academy of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.427
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1998-3549
pISSN - 0972-2327
DOI - 10.4103/0972-2327.162284
Subject(s) - medicine , leprosy , nerve biopsy , endoneurium , biopsy , pathology , acid fast , perineurium , chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy , prurigo nodularis , fibrosis , dermatology , peripheral neuropathy , peripheral nerve , immunology , antibody , tuberculosis , sciatic nerve , endocrinology , sputum , anatomy , diabetes mellitus
Demonstration of lepra bacilli is essential for definite or unequivocal diagnosis of pure neuritic leprosy (PNL) on nerve biopsy. However, nerves always do not show bacilli owing to the changes of previous therapy or due to low bacillary load in tuberculoid forms. In absence of granuloma or lepra bacilli, other morphologic changes in endoneurium and perineurium can be of help in making a probable diagnosis of PNL and treating the patient with multidrug therapy.