Nerve biopsy

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Nerve biopsy

Overview

Risks

Results

Nerve biopsy

Alternative Names:

Biopsy - nerve

What the risks are:

Permanent nerve damage (uncommon; minimized by careful site selection)
Discomfort after the procedure
Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
Allergic reaction to the local anesthetic

Special considerations:

Nerve biopsy is invasive and is useful only in certain circumstances. These include diagnosis of asymmetric and multifocal nerve disorders, conditions in which a nerve is palpably enlarged (the enlargement can be felt with the fingers), and suspected inherited pediatric nerve disorders.

Review Date: 4/28/2005
Reviewed By: Chitra R. Uppaluri, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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