Facial Nerve Conduction Study in Cured Leprosy Patients.
- Author:
Heesuk SHIN
1
;
Chulho YOON
;
Eunsinn LEE
;
Youngsik JEONG
;
Namhoon KANG
;
Jongchul KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Colleage of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Leprosy;
Facial nerve conduction study;
Blink reflex study;
Trigeminal nerve lesion
- MeSH:
Blinking;
Communicable Diseases;
Dapsone;
Facial Nerve*;
Humans;
Leprosy*;
Mycobacterium leprae;
Peripheral Nerves;
Trigeminal Nerve
- From:Journal of the Korean Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine
1997;21(3):565-571
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae and characterized by dermal and peripheral nerve lesions. The facial nerve is also frequently involved in leprosy. There are a few electrophysiologic studies on the facial nerve involvement in leprosy patients, but there is no electrophysiologic study on the facial nerve involvement in cured leprosy patitents. So we performed facial nerve conduction study and Blink reflex study in 19 cured leprosy patients who have been managed with Dapsone for a long time. Facial motor latencies were prolonged in 11 patients(57.9%).: 10 of 15 patients in lepromatous type; 1 of 4 patients in tuberculoid type. Prolonged latencies were shown in temporal branch, zygomatic branch, buccal branch, and mandibular branch in 9(47.4%), 6(31.6%), 5(26.3%), and 3(15.8%), respectively. Blink reflex study suggests combined facial nerve and trigeminal nerve lesion in 2 patients.
