Library · Procedure
Nerve biopsy
Make it clearer
A nerve biopsy means removing the whole nerve, or only part of its fascicles, the bundles of fibers it is divided into; it is a valuable option for diagnosing a peripheral neuropathy, which is a failure of the nerves that run from the brain and the spinal cord out to the rest of the body.
The nerve that lends itself to this is the sural, and there is a reason: it is usually purely sensory, meaning that it almost always carries only sensation, in this case from the lateral surface, or outer side, of the ankle and the foot. It is like cutting a thread at the fabric's edge, not one in the middle.
It is not a first-line test. It is reserved for when the labs, the electrophysiologic studies, which measure the electrical activity of the nerve, and the clinical examination have all been exhausted. Even so, it remains the gold standard, the reference test, for some causes such as nerve vasculitis.
In brief
A nerve biopsy removes the whole nerve or part of its fascicles, and it is a valuable option for diagnosing a peripheral neuropathy.
The sural nerve is usually purely sensory, and that quality makes it an attractive biopsy site: it carries sensation from the lateral ankle and foot.
It is like cutting a thread at the fabric's edge, not one in the middle.
It is reserved for when labs, electrophysiology and clinical examination have been exhausted; it remains the gold standard for some causes, such as nerve vasculitis.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingSural Nerve Biopsy, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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