It sounds like the Cleveland Clinic does the most thorough biopsy if they check three sites. I watched the online instructional videos for both Johns Hopkins and Therapathy (a pathology lab for identifying neuropathy).

Johns Hopkins tells the doctor to inject the anesthetic subcutaneously right into the spot where the sample will be taken. Therapath has the doctor inject anesthesia around the perimeter of the site but says not to put the needle into the biopsy area to preserve the nerves. Therapath also made it clear not to touch the top of the skin when removing the sample.

I'm nowhere near the Cleveland Clinic so will have to use one of the labs. I'm going to see if the University of Colorado has a pathologist that is trained to identify the various nerve conditions. I really want it to be done right the first time...

Jan

Jan, food for thought.
Hopkins developed the procedure and was the first to use it.

I think we're finally gettting somewhere with the biopsy - I found a dermatologist who is receiving the kit from Johns Hopkins. For those of you who have done multiple sites can you tell me what they were and if the results were different from different sites?

I know we'll do the area above the ankle, but I have stinging and burning all over and would like to confirm at least 2-3 areas of damage. It would probably be too hard to do the scalp without shaving some hair off, but I wondered about the back or abdomen and thighs.

Also do any of you have both SFN and CIDP?

Thanks -

Jan

S.O.P. is ankle, thigh or calf, & hip.
They expect different readings the farther away from the CNS.
Hip is usually less compromised than the foot/ankle.