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OBJECTIVES: To assess self-reported symptoms of neuropathy, disability, pain, health-related quality of life (HR-QOL), and autonomic dysfunction in patients with vasculitis. METHODS: Patients with vasculitis (with or without neuropathy) were invited by Vasculitis UK to complete an anonymous online survey. RESULTS: 312 patients (71% female) responded. Median age was 61-70 years. Median duration of vasculitis was 4 years (<2 months to > 15 years). Vasculitic types included granulomatosis with polyangiitis (34%), unspecified ANCA-associated vasculitis (13%), microscopic polyangiitis (11%), eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (11%), giant cell arteritis (10%), non-systemic vasculitic neuropathy (2%), and other (19%). Many patients reported foot/hand symptoms suggestive of neuropathy, including numbness (64%), pain (54%), or weakness (40%). 242 patients (78%) met our definition of probable vasculitic neuropathy: diagnosis of neuropathy by vasculitis team OR numbness OR weakness in feet/hands. Only 52% had been formally diagnosed with neuropathy. Compared with 70 patients without neuropathy, neuropathy patients had greater disability measured by the inflammatory Rasch-built Overall Disability Scale (centile mean 63.1 (SD 17.3) vs 75.2 (16.7); p< 0.0001), Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause and Treatment scale (median 2 (IQR 1-4) vs 0.5 (0-2); p< 0.0001), and modified Rankin scale (median 2 (IQR 1-3) vs 2 (1-2); p= 0.0002); greater pain on an 11-point rating scale (mean 4.6 (SD 2.6) vs 3.5 (2.8); p= 0.0009); and poorer HR-QOL on the EQ5D-3L (summary index mean 0.58 (SD 0.29) vs 0.69 (0.28); p<0.0001). Two-thirds reported autonomic symptoms (not associated with neuropathy). CONCLUSION: Neuropathy is common and associated with significant disability, pain, and impaired HR-QOL in patients with systemic vasculitis.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Various electrodiagnostic criteria have been developed in Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Their performance in a broad representation of GBS patients has not been evaluated. Motor conduction data from the International GBS Outcome Study (IGOS) cohort were used to compare two widely used criterion sets and relate these to diagnostic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis criteria. METHODS: From the first 1500 patients in IGOS, nerve conduction studies from 1137 (75.8%) were available for the current study. These patients were classified according to nerve conduction studies criteria proposed by Hadden and Rajabally. RESULTS: Of the 1137 studies, 68.3% (N = 777) were classified identically according to criteria by Hadden and Rajabally: 111 (9.8%) axonal, 366 (32.2%) demyelinating, 195 (17.2%) equivocal, 35 (3.1%) inexcitable and 70 (6.2%) normal. Thus, 360 studies (31.7%) were classified differently. The areas of differences were as follows: 155 studies (13.6%) classified as demyelinating by Hadden and axonal by Rajabally; 122 studies (10.7%) classified as demyelinating by Hadden and equivocal by Rajabally; and 75 studies (6.6%) classified as equivocal by Hadden and axonal by Rajabally. Due to more strictly defined cutoffs fewer patients fulfilled demyelinating criteria by Rajabally than by Hadden, making more patients eligible for axonal or equivocal classification by Rajabally. In 234 (68.6%) axonal studies by Rajabally the revised El Escorial (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) criteria were fulfilled; in axonal cases by Hadden this was 1.8%. CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION: This study shows that electrodiagnosis in GBS is dependent on the criterion set utilized, both of which are based on expert opinion. Reappraisal of electrodiagnostic subtyping in GBS is warranted.