Biopsy Diagnosis of Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral nerve analysis is a challenging task for pathologists, given the advent of new diagnoses and techniques of analysis and the impact of molecular genetics. This book presents a simple, logical method for constructing a differential diagnosis based on pathology and clinical presentation. It also provides advice on the selection of ancillary molecular, immunohistochemical and genetic techniques to establish a definitive diagnosis. Clear, authoritative guidance is offered on diagnosis of the full range of neuropathies with the aid of a wealth of high-quality color photomicrographs and electron micrographs. The pathologist will benefit greatly from the identification of a variety of artifacts and normal structures occasionally encountered in nerve biopsies that need to be distinguished from specific pathologic alterations. This user-friendly, practical text will be an invaluable aid in achieving the most specific diagnosis possible.

Introduction and Clinical Correlation.- Normal Peripheral Nerve Structure.- Basic Pathological Mechanisms.- Vasculitic Neuropathy.- Diabetic neuropathies.- Skin Biopsies.- Metabolic Neuropathies.- Inflammatory and Immune-Mediated Neuropathies.- Neuropathies Associated with Infectious Diseases.- Amyloid neuropathy.- Genetic Neuropathies.- Dysproteinemias.- Toxin-induced neuropathies.- Miscellaneous neuropathies.

Robert E. Schmidt, MD, PhD, graduated from Washington University School of Medicine and has since spent his entire career at the School. For the past two decades he has been Director of the Division of Neuropathology and Professor of Pathology and in 2006 he was also appointed Director of the Research Electron Microscopy Core Laboratory. Dr. Schmidt is the recipient of various honors and awards and is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He is a longstanding member of the editorial board of the Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology and since 2007 has been Senior Editor of Brain Pathology. Dr. Schmidt is the lead or co-author of 140 articles in peer-reviewed journals, as well as many reviews and other publications. Juan M. Bilbao, MD, graduated from Universidad Nacional de la Plata, Argentina and then undertook residencies in Boston and Montreal. He received his certification in Neuropathology from the American Board of Pathology in 1972 and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 1973. Dr. Bilbao has been an Associate Professor in Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto since 1997 and Consultant Neuropathologist at the Toronto Hospital Corporation since 1998. He is also now Associate Pathologist (Neuropathology) at St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto. Dr. Bilbo is a past Chief Examiner, Section of Neuropathology, for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He is the author of 124 articles in peer-reviewed journals and numerous other publications.