Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35486667›Full record

ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2022

Ultrasonography as a diagnostic tool for Neural Pain in Leprosy.

Clarissa Neves Spitz, Roberto Mogami, Izabela Jardim Rodrigues Pitta, Mariana Andrea Vilas Boas Hacker, Anna Maria Sales, Euzenir Nunes Sarno, Marcia Rodrigues Jardim

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 37% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Clarissa Neves SpitzPost-Graduate Program in Neurology, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0003-2661-1945
Roberto MogamiPedro Ernesto University Hospital/Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Izabela Jardim Rodrigues PittaPost-Graduate Program in Neurology, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Mariana Andrea Vilas Boas HackerLeprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Anna Maria SalesLeprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Euzenir Nunes SarnoLeprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Marcia Rodrigues JardimPost-Graduate Program in Neurology, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz · BRUniversidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro · BR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Leprosy is still a prevalent disease in Brazil, representing 93% of all occurrences in the Americas. Leprosy neuropathy is one of the most worrying manifestations of the disease. Acute neuropathy usually occurs during reaction episodes and is called neuritis. Twenty-two leprosy patients were included in this study. These patients had neural pain associated with ulnar sensory neuropathy, with or without adjunct motor involvement. The neurological picture began within thirty days of the clinical evaluation. The patients underwent a nerve conduction study and the demyelinating findings confirmed the diagnosis of neuritis. Ultrasonographic study (US) of the ulnar nerve was performed in all patients by a radiologist who was blinded to the clinical or neurophysiological results. Morphological characteristics of the ulnar nerve were analyzed, such as echogenicity, fascicular pattern, transverse cross-sectional area (CSA), aspect of the epineurium, as well as their anatomical relationships. The volume of selected muscles referring to the ulnar nerve, as well as their echogenicity, was also examined. Based on this analysis, patients with increased ulnar nerve CSA associated with loss of fascicular pattern, epineurium hyperechogenicity and presence of power Doppler flow were classified as neuritis. Therefore, patients initially classified by the clinical-electrophysiological criteria were reclassified by the imaging criteria pre-established in this study as with and without neuritis. Loss of fascicular pattern and flow detection on power Doppler showed to be significant morphological features in the detection of neuritis. In 38.5% of patients without clinical or neurophysiological findings of neuritis, US identified power Doppler flow and loss of fascicular pattern. The US is a method of high resolution and portability, and its low cost means that it could be used as an auxiliary tool in the diagnosis of neuritis and its treatment, especially in basic health units.

Indexed as

LeprosyNeuralgiaNeuritisUlnar NeuropathiesHumansNeural ConductionUlnar NerveUltrasonography

Identifiers

PMID35486667
PMCPMC9094535
OpenAlexW4225155434

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.