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Clinical and neurophysiological spectrum of polyneuropathies in children
, 1, 2, 12, 1, 123
Affiliations- Department of Morphology, Institute of Anatomy and Anthropology, Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia
- Children's Clinical University Hospital, Latvia
- Riga East Clinical University Hospital, Latvia
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Abstract
Peripheral neuropathy is a disorder of the peripheral nerves and results from a disturbance of structure and/or function of the peripheral sensory, motor and/or autonomic neurons. The possible aetiology of peripheral neuropathies is diverse, but inflammatory and hereditary diseases of the peripheral nerves predominate in childhood. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical and electrophysiological profile of large nerve fibre neuropathy detected by nerve conduction studies (NCS) in children over a 10-year period at the Children’s Clinical University Hospital in Latvia. Based on NCS findings, 165 children between 2008 and 2018 were diagnosed with polyneuropathy. In our study, the majority of children had peripheral neuropathy due to acquired causes, mostly due to diabetes mellitus; roughly one in five of the patients had hereditary neuropathy. Almost half of the patients had motor deficits, which were more prevalent in toxic and inflammatory neuropathies. A little less than a third of patients complained of pain as well as presenting with autonomic dysfunction symptoms. The NCS demonstrated a demyelinating neuropathy in 52 cases (31%), an axonal neuropathy in 34 cases (21%), and mixed polyneuropathy in 79 cases (48%). Our study investigated the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of polyneuropathies diagnosed with NCS in children. Most of the polyneuropathies in our study were hereditary and diabetic neuropathies with combined (myelin and axon) damage to nerve fibres. Almost all clinical symptoms of polyneuropathy were present in all aetiological groups.
Abstract
Peripheral neuropathy is a disorder of the peripheral nerves and results from a disturbance of structure and/or function of the peripheral sensory, motor and/or autonomic neurons. The possible aetiology of peripheral neuropathies is diverse, but inflammatory and hereditary diseases of the peripheral nerves predominate in childhood. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical and electrophysiological profile of large nerve fibre neuropathy detected by nerve conduction studies (NCS) in children over a 10-year period at the Children’s Clinical University Hospital in Latvia. Based on NCS findings, 165 children between 2008 and 2018 were diagnosed with polyneuropathy. In our study, the majority of children had peripheral neuropathy due to acquired causes, mostly due to diabetes mellitus; roughly one in five of the patients had hereditary neuropathy. Almost half of the patients had motor deficits, which were more prevalent in toxic and inflammatory neuropathies. A little less than a third of patients complained of pain as well as presenting with autonomic dysfunction symptoms. The NCS demonstrated a demyelinating neuropathy in 52 cases (31%), an axonal neuropathy in 34 cases (21%), and mixed polyneuropathy in 79 cases (48%). Our study investigated the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of polyneuropathies diagnosed with NCS in children. Most of the polyneuropathies in our study were hereditary and diabetic neuropathies with combined (myelin and axon) damage to nerve fibres. Almost all clinical symptoms of polyneuropathy were present in all aetiological groups.
Keywords
polyneuropathy, childhood, clinical, neurophysiology
About this articleTitle
Clinical and neurophysiological spectrum of polyneuropathies in children
Journal
Neurologia i Neurochirurgia Polska
Issue
Article type
Research Paper
Pages
466-470
Published online
2020-09-17
Page views
1219
Article views/downloads
499
DOI
Pubmed
Bibliographic record
Neurol Neurochir Pol 2020;54(5):466-470.
Keywords
polyneuropathy
childhood
clinical
neurophysiology
Authors
Elina Millere
Laura Gribuste
Inese Kazaine
Jurgis Strautmanis
Linda Gailite
Viktorija Kenina
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