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Das, L.

TitelEarly diagnosis of neuropathy in leprosy : comparing diagnostic tests in a large prospective study (the INFIR cohort study)  
AuteursW.H. van Brakel, P.G. Nicholl, E.P. Wilder-Smith, L. Das, P. Barkataki, D.N.J. Lockwood
Jaar2008
TijdschriftPLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Jaargang2
Serienummer4
Pagina's12
OrganisatieKIT - Royal Tropical Institute
OnderwerpHealth and Nutrition
Trefwoordenhealth, disease prevention and control
Regio'sAsia, South Asia
LandIndia
SamenvattingLeprosy is the most frequent treatable disease of the peripheral nerves. Yet, every year, thousands of patients develop nerve damage as a result of leprosy. If this is detected and treated early, the prognosis is good. We conducted the largest prospective study on this topic to date to determine which test would detect nerve damage earliest. One hundred and eighty-eight leprosy patients were selected from centres in North India and followed for 2 years after diagnosis. Nerve function was tested at each visit using a battery of nerve function tests. A large proportion of the patients had or developed subclinical nerve damage that was not detected with the standard clinical tests (monofilaments and voluntary muscle testing). Sensory nerve conduction was the most frequently and earliest affected test, closely followed by the warm temperature perception test. They are promising tests for improving early detection of nerve damage, as they often became abnormal 12 weeks or more before the monofilament test became abnormal. Changes measured with the monofilament and voluntary muscle tests mirrored changes in more advanced electronic measures, confirming their validity as screening tests. These findings open the door to future improvement of the prognosis of nerve damage in leprosy.  
TaalEngels
CategorieResearch
Soort documentArtikel
Rechten© 2008 van Brakel et al. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.
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