Patients with Sjögren’s disease may develop a small-fiber sensory neuropathy, which can cause burning and numbness in their hands and feet and occasionally in other parts of the body (such as the face, torso, and proximal extremities). A cutaneous nerve/skin biopsy can help confirm the diagnosis and assess the severity of this neuropathy.
This is a simple outpatient procedure that usually takes 10 to 15 minutes. The skin is first cleaned, and a small amount of local anesthetic is injected to numb the area. A small skin sample is then taken from the numbed site and covered with a bandage. Stitches are usually not needed, and the skin typically heals within one to two weeks. The risk of bleeding or infection is very low.
The biopsy is examined by expert physicians in the Johns Hopkins Department of Neurology, who assess epidermal nerve fiber density and any structural changes in the nerve fibers.
