Peripheral neuropathy is a complication found in a number of different underlying medical conditions or even idiopathic, covering nerve damage in the peripheral nervous system.
Quantitative morphological data from nerve cross sections, such as estimates of the number, density, and size distribution of myelinated fibers at selected levels of roots, spinal tracts, and sampled levels of peripheral nerves, density can be of great value in experimental, developmental, and pathological studies. In previous work, see [1], such samples are used to characterize alterations of motor, sensory, and autonomic neurons and their axons with development, aging and disease.
The summated areas of fascicles may be used in the detection of congenital mal-development, hypertrophy, or edema. The number of fibers per nerve may be increased (as from sprouting) or decreased (as from degeneration). Regression lines relating axonal area to myelin area, myelin thickness, or myelin spiral length may provide evidence of hypertrophy or atrophy of axons, see [1].