is the
Medical term for damage to
Nerve s of the
Peripheral Nervous System , which may be caused either by diseases of the
Nerve or from the
Side-effect s of systemic illness.
Peripheral neuropathies vary in their presentation and origin, and may affect the ''
Nerve '' or the ''
Neuromuscular Junction ''.
Major causes of peripheral neuropathy include
Seizure s,
Nutrition al deficiencies,
Alcoholism and
HIV , though
Diabetes is the most likely cause.
Agent Orange defoliants used by the US army during the
Vietnam War is also a major cause of peripheral neuropathy.
Mechanical pressure from staying in one position for too long, a
Tumor ,
Intraneural Hemorrhage , exposing the body to extreme conditions such as
Radiation , cold temperatures, or toxic substances (including some
Chemotherapy drugs such as
Vincristine ) can also cause peripheral neuropathy.
Many of the diseases of the peripheral nervous system may present similarly to muscle problems (
Myopathies ), and so it is important to develop approaches for assessing sensory and motor disturbances in
Patient s so that a
Physician may make an accurate diagnosis.
Peripheral neuropathies may either be ''symmetrical'' and ''generalized'' or ''focal'' and ''multifocal'', which is usually a good indicator of the cause of the peripheral nerve disease.
Generalized peripheral neuropathies are symmetrical, and usually due to various systematic illnesses and disease processes that affect the
Peripheral Nervous System in its entirety.
They are further subdivided into several categories:
Those with diseases or dysfunctions of their
Peripheral Nerve s can present with problems in any of the normal peripheral nerve functions.
In terms of sensory function, there are commonly ''loss of function'' (''negative'') symptoms, which include
Numb ness,
Tremor , and
Gait Imbalance .
''Gain of function'' (''positive'') symptoms include
Tingling ,
Pain ,
Itch ing,
Crawling , and
Pins And Needles . Pain can become intense enough to require use of opiate antagonist drugs (i.e., morphine, oxycontin).
Skin can become so hypersensitive that patients are prohibited from having anything touch certain parts of their body, especially the feet. People with this degree of sensitivity cannot have a bedsheet touch their feet or wear socks or shoes, and eventually become housebound.
Motor symptoms include ''loss of function'' (''negative'') symptoms of weakness,
Tiredness , heaviness, and
Gait Abnormalities ; and ''gain of function'' (''positive'') symptoms of
Cramps , tremor, and
Fasciculation s.
There is also
Pain in the muscles (''
Myalgia ''), cramps, ''
Etc ''., and there may also be
Autonomic dysfunction.
During
Physical Examination , those with generalized peripheral neuropathies most commonly have distal sensory or motor and sensory loss, though those with a
Pathology (problem) of the peripheral nerves may be perfectly normal; may show proximal weakness, as in some
Inflammatory Neuropathies like
Guillain-Barré Syndrome ); or may show focal sensory disturbance or weakness, such as in
Mononeuropathies ,
Radiculopathies and
Plexopathies .
Common disorders of the peripheral nerves include ''focal entrapment neuropathies'' (''e.g.'',
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ), ''generalized peripheral neuropathies'' (''e.g.'',
Diabetic Neuropathy ), ''plexopathies'' (''e.g.'',
Brachial Neuritis ) and ''radiculopathies'' (''e.g.'', of
Cranial Nerve VII;
Facial Nerve ).
This is a partial and incomplete list. Please contribute if you know other centers to help others throughout the United States and world.
''
Dellon Institutes Specializing in Peripheral Nerve Disorders with facilities in '''Baltimore, Boston, Tuscon, and Las Vegas'''.
