Evaluation of patients with symptoms suggestive of chronic polyneuropathy.
J Clin Neuromuscul Dis
; 3(2): 47-52, 2001 Dec.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-19078654
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic yield and to describe the spectrum of diagnosis encountered by evaluation of patients with symptoms suggestive of chronic polyneuropathy.METHODS:
We prospectively evaluated 198 patients referred to a department of neurology with symptoms suggestive of polyneuropathy. The evaluation included nerve conduction studies with near-nerve technique, quantitative examination of temperature sensation, blood tests, chest x-rays, and skin biopsies as well as diagnostic tests for differential diagnoses.RESULTS:
Polyneuropathy was found in 147 patients, alternative diagnoses in 25, and 26 remained undiagnosed. The etiology of polyneuropathy could not be identified in 25% of the patients with polyneuropathy. In the remaining 75%, the cause of neuropathy was diabetes and/or alcohol abuse (41%), monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (5%), drugs (5%), connective tissue disease (3%), and a number of less frequent conditions. A previously undiagnosed condition was found in 30% of the patients with polyneuropathy.CONCLUSION:
Evaluation of patients with symptoms suggestive of polyneuropathy reveals a high fraction of patients with previously undiagnosed conditions both in patients ending up with a polyneuropathy diagnosis and those without this diagnosis.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Clin Neuromuscul Dis
Ano de publicação:
2001
Tipo de documento:
Article