Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026

Three-dimensional Imaging of Nociceptive Intraepidermal Nerve Fibers in Human Skin Biopsies
Published on: April 29, 2013
[Neuropathy and unmyelinated epidermal nerve fibers]
Masahiko Tomiyama1, Soroku Yagihashi
1Department of Neurology, Aomori Prefectural Central Hospital, Tsukurimichi, Aomori, Japan.
Abstract:
Detection of unmyelinated epidermal nerve fibers allows objective, pathologic, and minimally invasive assessment of small myelinated A-delta and unmyelinated C primary afferent fibers. This procedure is especially valuable for diagnosing small fiber neuropathy; this condition is characterized by sensory symptoms and pain in the lower extremities but standard nerve conduction fails to show abnormalities in this condition. Detection of epidermal nerve fibers is useful not only for confirming the diagnosis of neuropathies affecting small-diameter sensory fibers, but also in advanced clinical care since this procedure can provide insights into the role of small myelinated and unmyelinated axons in peripheral nerve disorders and neuropathic pain. In this review, we discuss standard technical aspects of skin biopsy introduced for evaluation of epidermal nerve fibers and the feasibility of skin biopsy for diagnosing small fiber neuropathy and neuronopathy. We also describe the usefulness of skin biopsy in diagnosing peripheral neuropathies and other neurological disorders.
More Related Videos
10:31Three-dimensional Imaging and Analysis of Mitochondria within Human Intraepidermal Nerve Fibers
Published on: September 29, 2017
09:39Establishing a Mouse Model of a Pure Small Fiber Neuropathy with the Ultrapotent Agonist of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid Type 1
Published on: February 13, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Diabetic Neuropathy
Local Anesthetics: Differential Sensitivity of Nerve Fibers
Sensory Functions of the Skin
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...
Nervous Tissue: Myelin
Schwann cells begin to form myelin sheaths around axons during fetal development. They wrap around a small...
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
Diabetic Foot Ulcer