peripheral nerves (thickened)
Last reviewed 01/2018
Thickened peripheral nerves should be palpated for if there is evidence of a peripheral nerve lesion, peripheral neuropathy, or a mononeuritis complex. The most accessible points are:
- median nerve at the wrist
- ulnar nerve at the elbow
- common peroneal nerve at the head of the fibula
Causes of thickening may be remembered by the mnemonic HAGALO:
- Hypertrophic neuropathy - a rare autosomal dominant condition
- Acromegaly
- Guillain Barre - if relapsing and remitting disease
- Amyloid
- Leprosy
- Others - e.g. neurofibromatosis, diabetes, sarcoidosis, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease