Diagnosis and therapeutic options for peripheral vasculitic neuropathy

Vasculitic neuropathy.

Vasculitis is a common and treatable cause of neuropathy. In most cases, necrotizing arteritis of the type observed in polyarteritis nodosa is responsible for the lesions, but classification of vasculitis is still uncertain. The neuropathy often occurs in the context of a multisystem disorder, but in a substantial proportion of patients, especially among patients seen by neurologists, the neuro...

Skin denervation in vasculitic neuropathy.

BACKGROUND Skin denervation in vasculitic neuropathy has rarely been documented despite frequent manifestations of small-fiber neuropathy including reduced sensitivity and neuropathic pain. Recently, skin biopsy has been established as a new approach to diagnose small-fiber sensory neuropathy. OBJECTIVES To investigate the pathologic features of cutaneous nerves and to evaluate inflammatory v...

Vasculitic neuropathy following exposure to minocycline

OBJECTIVE To report 3 patients with minocycline-induced autoimmunity resulting in peripheral nerve vasculitis. METHODS We report 3 patients who, during minocycline treatment for acne vulgaris, developed subacute onset of pain and weakness caused by vasculitis in single and multiple mononeuropathy patterns. RESULTS Each patient underwent either a nerve or muscle biopsy that confirmed vasculi...

Peripheral neuropathy: differential diagnosis and management.

Peripheral neuropathy has a variety of systemic, metabolic, and toxic causes. The most common treatable causes include diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, and nutritional deficiencies. The diagnosis requires careful clinical assessment, judicious laboratory testing, and electrodiagnostic studies or nerve biopsy if the diagnosis remains unclear. A systematic approach begins with localization of t...

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in nonsystemic vasculitic neuropathy.