Corneal Confocal Microscopy: A Non-Invasive Surrogate Marker of Small Nerve Fibre Damage and Repair in Patients with Small Fibre Neuropathy
Aim: ‘Painful neuropathy’ is presumed to be secondary to small fibre damage from a variety of causes. Methods to detect, characterize and quantify small fibre damage are time consuming and highly variable (QST’s), or invasive (skin or nerve biopsy). We have recently shown that corneal nerve damage a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Tehran University of Medical Sciences
2005-10-01
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| Series: | Iranian Journal of Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journals.tums.ac.ir/PdfMed.aspx?pdf_med=/upload_files/pdf/2438.pdf&manuscript_id=2438 |
| _version_ | 1818575006038228992 |
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| author | M Tavakoli AG Marshall Rayaz A Malik N Efron |
| author_facet | M Tavakoli AG Marshall Rayaz A Malik N Efron |
| author_sort | M Tavakoli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aim: ‘Painful neuropathy’ is presumed to be secondary to small fibre damage from a variety of causes. Methods to detect, characterize and quantify small fibre damage are time consuming and highly variable (QST’s), or invasive (skin or nerve biopsy). We have recently shown that corneal nerve damage assessed using corneal confocal microscopy is an accurate surrogate marker for somatic nerve damage in patients with diabetic neuropathy. We have now assessed corneal nerve morphology in patients with painful neuropathy who had been labelled as having ‘small fibre neuropathy’. Methods: 30 patients aged 60 + 13 with ‘small fibre neuropathy’ and 12 age-matched control subjects underwent assessment of the Neuropathy Deficit Score in the lower limb (NDS), Neuropathy Symptom Profile (NSP), Electrophysiology, QST for thermal perception and corneal confocal microscopy (CCM). CCM quantified corneal nerve morphology: nerve fibre density (NFD), nerve branch density (NBD), nerve fibre length (NFL), nerve fibre tortuosity (NFT). Results: According to the results obtained for “neuropathy severity assessment” including NDS, NSP, electrophysiology and QST data , a significance reduction in corneal nerve NFD (P< 0.0001), NBD (P< 0.0001), NFL (P< 0.0001) and no statistical significant changes in tortuosity was shown. Discussion: Corneal confocal microscopy offers a rapid, non-invasive, and reiterative technique to accurately detect, and quantify nerve damage in patients with ‘small fibre neuropathy’. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:34:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-60be85ad17be4e32b36296c23eb28471 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2251-6085 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:34:11Z |
| publishDate | 2005-10-01 |
| publisher | Tehran University of Medical Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Iranian Journal of Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-60be85ad17be4e32b36296c23eb284712022-12-21T22:41:51ZengTehran University of Medical SciencesIranian Journal of Public Health2251-60852005-10-0134Sup1819Corneal Confocal Microscopy: A Non-Invasive Surrogate Marker of Small Nerve Fibre Damage and Repair in Patients with Small Fibre NeuropathyM TavakoliAG MarshallRayaz A MalikN EfronAim: ‘Painful neuropathy’ is presumed to be secondary to small fibre damage from a variety of causes. Methods to detect, characterize and quantify small fibre damage are time consuming and highly variable (QST’s), or invasive (skin or nerve biopsy). We have recently shown that corneal nerve damage assessed using corneal confocal microscopy is an accurate surrogate marker for somatic nerve damage in patients with diabetic neuropathy. We have now assessed corneal nerve morphology in patients with painful neuropathy who had been labelled as having ‘small fibre neuropathy’. Methods: 30 patients aged 60 + 13 with ‘small fibre neuropathy’ and 12 age-matched control subjects underwent assessment of the Neuropathy Deficit Score in the lower limb (NDS), Neuropathy Symptom Profile (NSP), Electrophysiology, QST for thermal perception and corneal confocal microscopy (CCM). CCM quantified corneal nerve morphology: nerve fibre density (NFD), nerve branch density (NBD), nerve fibre length (NFL), nerve fibre tortuosity (NFT). Results: According to the results obtained for “neuropathy severity assessment” including NDS, NSP, electrophysiology and QST data , a significance reduction in corneal nerve NFD (P< 0.0001), NBD (P< 0.0001), NFL (P< 0.0001) and no statistical significant changes in tortuosity was shown. Discussion: Corneal confocal microscopy offers a rapid, non-invasive, and reiterative technique to accurately detect, and quantify nerve damage in patients with ‘small fibre neuropathy’.http://journals.tums.ac.ir/PdfMed.aspx?pdf_med=/upload_files/pdf/2438.pdf&manuscript_id=2438Peripheral- small fibre- neuropathyQuantitative neuropathy testsPeripheral nerves |
| spellingShingle | M Tavakoli AG Marshall Rayaz A Malik N Efron Corneal Confocal Microscopy: A Non-Invasive Surrogate Marker of Small Nerve Fibre Damage and Repair in Patients with Small Fibre Neuropathy Iranian Journal of Public Health Peripheral- small fibre- neuropathy Quantitative neuropathy tests Peripheral nerves |
| title | Corneal Confocal Microscopy: A Non-Invasive Surrogate Marker of Small Nerve Fibre Damage and Repair in Patients with Small Fibre Neuropathy |
| title_full | Corneal Confocal Microscopy: A Non-Invasive Surrogate Marker of Small Nerve Fibre Damage and Repair in Patients with Small Fibre Neuropathy |
| title_fullStr | Corneal Confocal Microscopy: A Non-Invasive Surrogate Marker of Small Nerve Fibre Damage and Repair in Patients with Small Fibre Neuropathy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Corneal Confocal Microscopy: A Non-Invasive Surrogate Marker of Small Nerve Fibre Damage and Repair in Patients with Small Fibre Neuropathy |
| title_short | Corneal Confocal Microscopy: A Non-Invasive Surrogate Marker of Small Nerve Fibre Damage and Repair in Patients with Small Fibre Neuropathy |
| title_sort | corneal confocal microscopy a non invasive surrogate marker of small nerve fibre damage and repair in patients with small fibre neuropathy |
| topic | Peripheral- small fibre- neuropathy Quantitative neuropathy tests Peripheral nerves |
| url | http://journals.tums.ac.ir/PdfMed.aspx?pdf_med=/upload_files/pdf/2438.pdf&manuscript_id=2438 |
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