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Autonomic neuropathy and transcutaneous oxymetry in diabetic lower extremities

Diabetologia volume 37, pages 1051–1055 (1994)Cite this article

Summary

Transcutaneous oxygen tension is a useful method with which to assess the functional status of skin blood flow. The reduced values observed in diabetic patients have been interpreted as a consequence of peripheral vascular disease. However, diabetic patients show lower transcutaneous oxygen tension values than control subjects with equivalent degrees of peripheral vascular disease, suggesting that additional factors are involved. Since the autonomic nervous system influences peripheral circulation, we studied the relationship between autonomic neuropathy and foot transcutaneous oxymetry in non-insulin-dependent diabetic (NIDDM) patients without peripheral vascular disease. The following age-matched patients were selected and evaluated: control subjects, C, (n=20), NIDDM patients without autonomic neuropathy, D, (n=16) and with autonomic neuropathy, DN, (n=20). All diabetic patients showed lower transcutaneous oxygen tension values than control subjects, while no differences were observed between the diabetic patients with and without autonomic neuropathy. In addition the saturation index that increases in the presence of autonomic neuropathy does not correlate with foot TcPO2. In conclusion autonomic neuropathy does not influence foot TcPO2 and therefore it is unlikely that it contributes to development of foot lesions during induction of foot skin ischaemia.

Abbreviations

NIDDM:

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

TcPO2 :

transcutaneous oxymetry

A-V:

arterio-venous shunts

PVD:

peripheral vascular disease

HbA1c :

glycated haemoglobin

SI:

saturation index

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Author information

Affiliations

  1. Cattedra di Endocrinologia, Università di Roma “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy

    L. Uccioli, G. Monticone, L. Durola & G. Menzinger

  2. Cattedra di Semeiotica Chirurgica, Università di Roma “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy

    F. Russo

  3. Istituto di Clinica Medica, Università Cattolica, Rome, Italy

    F. Mormile

  4. Istituto di Clinica Neurologica, Università Cattolica, Rome, Italy

    G. Mennuni

  5. Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata, Rome, Italy

    G. Monticone & F. Bergamo

Authors
  1. L. Uccioli
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  2. G. Monticone
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  3. F. Russo
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  4. F. Mormile
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  5. L. Durola
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  6. G. Mennuni
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  7. F. Bergamo
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  8. G. Menzinger
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Uccioli, L., Monticone, G., Russo, F. et al. Autonomic neuropathy and transcutaneous oxymetry in diabetic lower extremities. Diabetologia 37, 1051–1055 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00400469

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00400469

Key words

  • Diabetic autonomic neuropathy
  • transcutaneous oxymetry
  • galvanic skin response
  • blood oxygen content
  • diabetic foot