Nerve biopsy in Indian patients with mononeuropathy multiplex of undetermined etiology

Introduction A diagnosis of mononeuropathy multiplex (MM) requires detailed evaluation to determine etiology. We performed nerve biopsy on patients with MM in whom the etiology could not be established via other investigations. Methods: Sixty-eight patients with MM seen between January 2013 and June 2014 underwent detailed diagnostic evaluation. Those in whom the investigations failed to establish an etiology underwent nerve biopsy. Results: A diagnosis of leprosy was confirmed in 14 patients and was highly probable in 17 others. Eleven patients had vasculitic neuropathy, and in 1 patient there were amyloid deposits on nerve biopsy. Conclusions: In 43 of 68 Indian patients (63%) with MM, nerve biopsy identified a definite (26 patients) or probable (17 patients) etiology. Nerve biopsy is a valuable investigation in MM that frequently results in a diagnosis of leprosy in India. Muscle Nerve, 2016 Muscle Nerve 55: 23–27, 2017