OBJECTIVE:To review the literature and to report a clinical case with initial suspicion of pure neural leprosy and final diagnosis of amyloid neuropathy. METHODS:The study was conducted in two stages. In stage one, a systematic literature review was carried out, with searches performed in the PubMed, Medline, and Lilacs databases, as well as in the leprosy sectoral library of the Virtual Health Library, using the following descriptors: neuritic leprosy, pure neural leprosy, primary neural leprosy, pure neuritic leprosy, amyloid polyneuropathy, amyloid neuropathies, and amyloid polyneuropathy. The search was carried out on May 28, 2020. Clinical trials, cohort studies, crosssectional studies, clinical cases, and case studies published in Portuguese, English or Spanish between 2010 and 2020 were included.Stage two reports a case with initial suspicion of pure neural leprosy. Laboratory tests, electroneuromyography, ultrasound, and biopsy of the sural nerve were requested.RESULTS: Twenty-three scientific texts were included. No publications were found that contained both topics together. The challenging diagnosis of pure neural leprosy and the possibility of using auxiliary resources in diagnosis were the most emphasized themes in the studies. In the clinical case, the patient's electroneuromyography showed sensitive and motor polyneuropathy of the lower limbs, which was predominantly sensory and axonal, symmetrical, of moderate intensity, and the mixed type (axonal-demyelinating). Ultrasonography of the sural nerve revealed changes in the contour of the deep fibular nerves; biopsy of the sural nerve showed an accumulation of amorphous eosinophilic material in the nerve path, and Congo red stain showed apple-green birefringence of the deposit under polarized light. The final diagnosis was amyloid neuropathy. CONCLUSIONS:The final clinical diagnosis was amyloid neuropathy. The diagnosis of pure neural leprosy in endemic areas in Brasil is still a challenge for the health system.
Objective: To review the literature, including a clinical case discussion with suspicion of pure neural leprosy and final diagnosis of amyloid neuropathy. Methods: The study was conducted on May 28, 2020. A systematic review of the literature was conducted, with searches in PubMed, Medline, Lilacs and BVS MS using the descriptors: neuritic leprosy, pure neural leprosy, primary neural leprosy, pure neuritic leprosy, amyloid polyneuropathy, amyloid neuropathies, amyloid polyneuropathy. Clinical trials, cohorts, cross-sectional, clinical cases and case studies, published in Portuguese, English or Spanish between 2010 and 2020 were included. Then, a case report with an initial suspicion of pure neural leprosy was presented. Laboratory tests, electroneuromyography, ultrasound and biopsy of the sural nerve were requested. Results: 23 scientific texts were included. No publications with the two themes together were found. Diagnosis of pure neural leprosy and the possibility of using auxiliary resources were the most prominent themes in the studies. In the clinical case, the patient’s electroneuromyography showed sensitive and motor polyneuropathy of lower limbs, symmetrical, of moderate intensity, of the mixed type (axono- demyelinating), sensitive and axonal. Ultrasonography of the sural nerve revealed changes in the contour of the deep fibular nerves and biopsy of the sural nerve demonstrated the accumulation of amorphous eosinophilic material in the nerve path and Congo red staining showed birefringence of the deposit in applegreen under polarized light. The final diagnosis was amyloidotic neuropathy. Conclusion: Clinical diagnosis was amyloidotic neuropathy. Diagnosis of pure neural leprosy in endemic areas of Brazil is a challenge for the health system.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.