Abstract
In the present study minimal clinical and electrophysiological criteria for the diagnosis of diabetic polyneuropathy (DP) have been tested in 48 unselected subjects attending an outpatient service for diabetics at the University Hospital of Chieti. A standard electrophysiological examination was performed in all patients on the median nerve (sensory and motor), peroneal nerve and sural nerve. Depending on the importance of the laboratory values for each nerve, nerve conduction velocity, distal latency and potential amplitude were given separate scores ranging from 0.5 to 2. A diagnosis of probable DP was made when abnormal findings were present in more than one nerve with a total score of 2.5 or more. As a whole, 28 cases (58%) had abnormal laboratory findings supporting the diagnosis of probable DP. There was a relatively high correlation between probable DP and a positive clinical examination although the validity coefficients of the neurological exam were not high enough to allow its use as a screening test for DP.
Sommario
Nella presente indagine alcuni criteri clinici ed elettrofisiologici di minima per la diagnosi di polineuropatia diabetica (PD) sono stati scelti e testati su di un campione non selezionato di 48 soggetti afferenti all'Ambulatorio di Diabetologia dell'Ospedale Universitario di Chieti. Su ciascun paziente è stato eseguito un esame strumentale standard a carico dei nervi mediano (sensitivo e motore), peroneo e surale. Con riferimento alla relativa importanza dei parametri strumentali per ciascun nervo, a velocità di conduzione, latenza distale ed ampiezza dei potenziali furono attribuiti punteggi che variavano da 0,5 a 2. Veniva formulata una diagnosi di probabile PD quando il punteggio totale su almeno due nervi era di 2,5 o più. Sul totale, 28 casi (58%) avevano un quadro strumentale a sostegno della diagnosi di probabile PD. Per quanto vi fosse una correlazione relativamente alta tra positività dell'esame clinico e diagnosi di probabile PD, i coefficienti di validità dell'esame neurologico non risultavano sufficientemente elevati da consentirne l'impiego per lo screening della PD.
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Beghi, E., Treviso, M., Ferri, P. et al. Diagnosis of diabetic polyneuropathy Correlation between clinical and instrumental findings and assessment of simple diagnostic criteria. Ital J Neuro Sci 9, 577–582 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02337012
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02337012