Intraepidermal nerve fiber density and its application in sarcoidosis

Mayienne Bakkers; I. S J Merkies; G. Lauria; G. Devigili; P. Penza; R. Lombardi; M. C E Hermans; S. I. Van Nes; M. De Baets; C. G. Faber

doi:10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181bacf05

Intraepidermal nerve fiber density and its application in sarcoidosis

Mayienne Bakkers, I. S J Merkies, G. Lauria, G. Devigili, P. Penza, R. Lombardi, M. C E Hermans, S. I. Van Nes, M. De Baets, C. G. Faber

Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico "C. Besta"

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) is considered a good diagnostic tool for small fiber neuropathy (SFN). OBJECTIVES: To assess stratified normative values for IENFD and determine the reliability and validity of IENFD in sarcoidosis. METHODS: IENFD was assessed in 188 healthy volunteers and 72 patients with sarcoidosis (n = 58 with SFN symptoms, n = 14 without SFN symptoms). Healthy controls were stratified (for age and sex), resulting in 6 age groups (20-29, 30-39, ... up to '70 years) containing at least 15 men and 15 women. A skin biopsy was taken in each participant 10 cm above the lateral malleolus and analyzed in accordance with the international guidelines using bright-field microscopy. Interobserver/intraobserver reliability of IENFD was examined. In the patients, a symptoms inventory questionnaire (SIQ; assessing SFN symptoms) and the Vickrey Peripheral Neuropathy Quality-of-Life Instrument-97 (PNQoL-97) were assessed to examine the discriminative ability of normative IENFD values. RESULTS:: There was a significant age-dependent decrease of IENFD values in healthy controls, with lower densities in men compared with women. Good interobserver/intraobserver reliability scores were obtained (κ values '0.90). A total of 21 patients with sarcoidosis had a reduced IENFD score (

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1142-1148
Number of pages	7
Journal	Neurology
Volume	73
Issue number	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181bacf05
Publication status	Published - Oct 2009

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Clinical Neurology

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10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181bacf05

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title = "Intraepidermal nerve fiber density and its application in sarcoidosis",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) is considered a good diagnostic tool for small fiber neuropathy (SFN). OBJECTIVES: To assess stratified normative values for IENFD and determine the reliability and validity of IENFD in sarcoidosis. METHODS: IENFD was assessed in 188 healthy volunteers and 72 patients with sarcoidosis (n = 58 with SFN symptoms, n = 14 without SFN symptoms). Healthy controls were stratified (for age and sex), resulting in 6 age groups (20-29, 30-39, ... up to '70 years) containing at least 15 men and 15 women. A skin biopsy was taken in each participant 10 cm above the lateral malleolus and analyzed in accordance with the international guidelines using bright-field microscopy. Interobserver/intraobserver reliability of IENFD was examined. In the patients, a symptoms inventory questionnaire (SIQ; assessing SFN symptoms) and the Vickrey Peripheral Neuropathy Quality-of-Life Instrument-97 (PNQoL-97) were assessed to examine the discriminative ability of normative IENFD values. RESULTS:: There was a significant age-dependent decrease of IENFD values in healthy controls, with lower densities in men compared with women. Good interobserver/intraobserver reliability scores were obtained (κ values '0.90). A total of 21 patients with sarcoidosis had a reduced IENFD score (",

author = "Mayienne Bakkers and Merkies, {I. S J} and G. Lauria and G. Devigili and P. Penza and R. Lombardi and Hermans, {M. C E} and {Van Nes}, {S. I.} and {De Baets}, M. and Faber, {C. G.}",

year = "2009",

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doi = "10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181bacf05",

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T1 - Intraepidermal nerve fiber density and its application in sarcoidosis

AU - Bakkers, Mayienne

AU - Merkies, I. S J

AU - Lauria, G.

AU - Devigili, G.

AU - Penza, P.

AU - Lombardi, R.

AU - Hermans, M. C E

AU - Van Nes, S. I.

AU - De Baets, M.

AU - Faber, C. G.

PY - 2009/10

Y1 - 2009/10

N2 - BACKGROUND: Intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) is considered a good diagnostic tool for small fiber neuropathy (SFN). OBJECTIVES: To assess stratified normative values for IENFD and determine the reliability and validity of IENFD in sarcoidosis. METHODS: IENFD was assessed in 188 healthy volunteers and 72 patients with sarcoidosis (n = 58 with SFN symptoms, n = 14 without SFN symptoms). Healthy controls were stratified (for age and sex), resulting in 6 age groups (20-29, 30-39, ... up to '70 years) containing at least 15 men and 15 women. A skin biopsy was taken in each participant 10 cm above the lateral malleolus and analyzed in accordance with the international guidelines using bright-field microscopy. Interobserver/intraobserver reliability of IENFD was examined. In the patients, a symptoms inventory questionnaire (SIQ; assessing SFN symptoms) and the Vickrey Peripheral Neuropathy Quality-of-Life Instrument-97 (PNQoL-97) were assessed to examine the discriminative ability of normative IENFD values. RESULTS:: There was a significant age-dependent decrease of IENFD values in healthy controls, with lower densities in men compared with women. Good interobserver/intraobserver reliability scores were obtained (κ values '0.90). A total of 21 patients with sarcoidosis had a reduced IENFD score (

AB - BACKGROUND: Intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) is considered a good diagnostic tool for small fiber neuropathy (SFN). OBJECTIVES: To assess stratified normative values for IENFD and determine the reliability and validity of IENFD in sarcoidosis. METHODS: IENFD was assessed in 188 healthy volunteers and 72 patients with sarcoidosis (n = 58 with SFN symptoms, n = 14 without SFN symptoms). Healthy controls were stratified (for age and sex), resulting in 6 age groups (20-29, 30-39, ... up to '70 years) containing at least 15 men and 15 women. A skin biopsy was taken in each participant 10 cm above the lateral malleolus and analyzed in accordance with the international guidelines using bright-field microscopy. Interobserver/intraobserver reliability of IENFD was examined. In the patients, a symptoms inventory questionnaire (SIQ; assessing SFN symptoms) and the Vickrey Peripheral Neuropathy Quality-of-Life Instrument-97 (PNQoL-97) were assessed to examine the discriminative ability of normative IENFD values. RESULTS:: There was a significant age-dependent decrease of IENFD values in healthy controls, with lower densities in men compared with women. Good interobserver/intraobserver reliability scores were obtained (κ values '0.90). A total of 21 patients with sarcoidosis had a reduced IENFD score (

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Intraepidermal nerve fiber density and its application in sarcoidosis

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