The term diabetic polyneuropathy is probably the one you will encounter most frequently during your medical studies. What are the most common causes of polyneuropathy? Which are hereditary, and which are acquired? How are they diagnosed and what types of therapy are available? The following article will provide you with answers to all of these questions. It has been prepared with the medical ex...

P olyneuropathy has an estimated prevalence of 2%–3% in the general population and a prevalence as high as 8% in people over the age of 55 years.1 Roughly one-third of polyneuropathies will have a genetic cause, one-third an acquired etiology, and onethird will be idiopathic, despite appropriate diagnostic evaluation.2 There are over 100 known acquired and inherited disorders that may cause pol...

OBJECTIVES Polyneuropathies with associated serum IgM antibodies are often difficult to treat. Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody directed against the B cell surface membrane marker CD20. Rituximab eliminates B cells from the circulation, and, over time, could reduce cells producing autoantibodies. This study tested the ability of rituximab to produce changes in serum antibody titres, and impro...

The term diabetic polyneuropathy is probably the one you will encounter most frequently during your medical studies. What are the most common causes of polyneuropathy? Which are hereditary, and which are acquired? How are they diagnosed and what types of therapy are available? The following article will provide you with answers to all of these questions. It has been prepared with the medical ex...

Prior to a joint meeting of the Neurodiab Association and International Symposium on Diabetic Neuropathy held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 13-18 October 2009, Solomon Tesfaye, Sheffield, UK, convened a panel of neuromuscular experts to provide an update on polyneuropathies associated with diabetes (Toronto Consensus Panels on DPNs, 2009). Herein, we provide definitions of typical and atypical d...

OBJECTIVE To examine the relative diagnostic sensitivity of various F wave parameters. METHODS Normal values for minimum, mean, and maximum F wave latency, chronodispersion, and persistence in the four major motor nerves were established and systematically applied to at least four separate categories of patients (radiculopathies, polyneuropathies, mononeuropathies, and others). F Waves were s...

Objective—To examine the relative diagnostic sensitivity of various F wave parameters. Methods—Normal values for minimum, mean, and maximum F wave latency, chronodispersion, and persistence in the four major motor nerves were established and systematically applied to at least four separate categories of patients (radiculopathies, polyneuropathies, mononeuropathies, and others). F Waves were stu...