[The value of corneal confocal microscopy in diagnosing early small fibre neuropathy].

OBJECTIVE

To explore the diagnostic value of corneal confocal microscopy in the early small fibre neuropathy (SFN).

METHODS

A total of 45 patients with small fibre neuropathy and 50 age-matched healthy subjects undertook a neurological evaluation, neurological deficits score (NDS), sural nerve conduction velocity, contact heat evoked potential (CHEP) and corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) to quantify small nerve fibre pathology. Four parameters including nerve fiber length (NFL), nerve branch density (NBD), nerve fiber density (NFD) and nerve fibre tortuosity (NFT) were calculated from the observation of corneal confocal microscopy.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, significantly decreased NFD and NBD were found in the SFN group [ (42.00 ± 25.26)/mm(2) vs (72.38 ± 14.09)/mm(2) ;(31.93 ± 13.21)/mm(2) vs (46.24 ± 11.48)/mm(2); with all P < 0.05], while NFT were significantly increased in the SFN group [(2.48 ± 0.87) levels vs (0.88 ± 0.56) levels, P < 0.001]. The neurological deficits score was correlated with NFT, NFD and NBD (r = 0.782, -0.376, -0.504; with all P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

CCM is a new and sensitive noninvasive clinical technique that may be used to detect early small fibre nerve damage in patients with SFN.