Nerve Conduction Study on Patients with Severe Liver Disease and Its Change after Transplantation

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the character of peripheral neuropathy associated with end-stage liver disease and the effect of liver transplantation on peripheral neuropathy. METHOD: Twenty five patients admitted for a liver transplantation were involved in this study. All patients underwent nerve conduction study before liver transplantation and 6 months after liver transplantation. Based on results of this study, motor amplitude (MAS), motor velocity (MVS), sensory amplitude (SAS), and sensory velocity score (SVS) were calculated. Neuropathy symptom score (NSS), and neuropathy disability score (NDS) were estimated. The scores from the nerve conduction study were compared with NSS and NDS to find out the correlation between them. The changes in nerve conduction study, NSS and NDS after liver transplantation were evaluated. RESULTS: All patients had abnormalities on their nerve conduction study preoperatively, but 10 patients (40%) showed normal findings 6 months after transplantation. Only SAS disclosed significant correlation with NDS preoperatively. SAS, SVS, and MVS showed significant correlation with NDS after transplantation. SAS and MVS substantially increased after transplantation. CONCLUSION: Nerve conduction study showed the improvement both in sensory and motor nerve after liver transplantation. The correlation between the nerve conduction study and clinical estimates after liver transplantation was closer than before the transplantation.