Superficial peroneal nerve thickening as an early diagnostic sign in leprosy

Abstract

Clinical examination of 1020 persons in a region of India in which leprosy is endemic revealed thickening of one or both superficial peroneal nerves in 54 persons, 19 having previously received treatment for leprosy, whether full or incomplete (old cases), and 35 never having been treated (new cases). Biopsies of thickened superficial peroneal nerves showed that of 33 symptom-free patients, 18 had diagnostic histological changes (54.5%), and a plea is made that screening examinations for leprosy should include palpitation of superficial peroneal nerves, for subsequent nerve biopsies are likely to provide early diagnostic evidence in more than 50% of cases.