Motor nerve biopsy: clinical usefulness and histopathological criteria.

Authors :: Riva N
Iannaccone S
Corbo M
Casellato C
Sferrazza B
Lazzerini A
Scarlato M
Cerri F
Previtali SC
Nobile-Orazio E
Comi G
Quattrini A
Source :: Annals of neurology [Ann Neurol] 2011 Jan; Vol. 69 (1), pp. 197-201. Date of Electronic Publication: 2010 Nov 12.
Publication Year :: 2011
Abstract: Early differential diagnosis of motor neuropathies (MN) and lower motor neuron diseases (LMND) is important, as prognosis and therapeutic approaches are different. We evaluated the diagnostic contribution of the biopsy of the motor branch of the obturator nerve and gracilis muscle in 21 consecutive patients in which, after proper clinical and neurophysiological studies, the differential diagnosis was still open. At baseline, motor biopsy was performed; diagnostic confirmation was obtained by 2-year clinical follow-up. Our results support the usefulness of this diagnostic procedure for selected cases of MN and LMND.<br /> (Copyright © 2010 American Neurological Association.)