open access
Update on the diagnostic clinical neurophysiology for rheumatology


- Department of Organization and Management in Health Care, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland
- Department of Pathophysiology of Locomotor Organs, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland
- Department and Clinic of Rheumatology, Rehabilitation and Internal Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland
open access
Abstract
The current concepts on the clinical neurophysiology examinations for the differential diagnosis of rheumatic diseases are presented. The review aims to provide experience and practical guidelines, especially regarding electromyography. More needle than surface electromyography examinations at muscle rest or during its maximal contraction may reveal the characteristic effects of the myogenic injury caused by particular rheumatic diseases. The diagnosis of myopathic disorders, often found in rheumatic diseases is difficult because of the frequent vasculitis coexistence in the patients evoking subsequent changes in nerve fibres leading to degenerative neurogenic changes that may overlap the diagnostic picture of the primary myogenic changes caused by rheumatic diseases. In these cases, the neurophysiological studies of efferent and afferent neural transmission often reveal peripheral neuropathies just at the subclinical level.
Abstract
The current concepts on the clinical neurophysiology examinations for the differential diagnosis of rheumatic diseases are presented. The review aims to provide experience and practical guidelines, especially regarding electromyography. More needle than surface electromyography examinations at muscle rest or during its maximal contraction may reveal the characteristic effects of the myogenic injury caused by particular rheumatic diseases. The diagnosis of myopathic disorders, often found in rheumatic diseases is difficult because of the frequent vasculitis coexistence in the patients evoking subsequent changes in nerve fibres leading to degenerative neurogenic changes that may overlap the diagnostic picture of the primary myogenic changes caused by rheumatic diseases. In these cases, the neurophysiological studies of efferent and afferent neural transmission often reveal peripheral neuropathies just at the subclinical level.
Keywords
rheumatic diseases; clinical neurophysiology; electromyography; differential diagnosis


Title
Update on the diagnostic clinical neurophysiology for rheumatology
Journal
Issue
Article type
Review paper
Pages
163-168
Published online
2022-12-29
Page views
1750
Article views/downloads
58
DOI
10.5603/RF.2022.0023
Bibliographic record
Rheumatology Forum 2022;8(4):163-168.
Keywords
rheumatic diseases
clinical neurophysiology
electromyography
differential diagnosis
Authors
Przemysław Daroszewski
Katarzyna Kaczmarek
Włodzimierz Samborski
Dorota Sikorska
Juliusz Huber


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