Clinical and electrophysiologic study of polyneuropathy among diabetic patients in Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Seventy diabetic patients [44 males, 26 females] were evaluated for peripheral neuropathy clinically and by nerve conduction studies [NCS]. These included conduction velocity, distal latency, peak-to-peak amplitude and area in two motor [median and common perineal] and two sensory nerves [median and sural] Sixty-three patients had type II diabetes and seven had type I. Their median age was 47 years and median duration of diabetes six years. NCS results were scored using values previously obtained in healthy controls. Thirty-three patients [47.1%] had clinical neuropathy [22 definite, 11 probable] and 37 [52.8%] were normal. Clinical neuropathy showed significant association with type of treatment [x2 = 8.38, p = 0.038], but not with control of diabetes or its duration presumably because of the relatively small number of patients studied. NCS were normal in 14 patients [20%] and abnormal in 56 [80%] with the following pattern of abnormalities mild sensorimotor neuropathy 13 [18%], moderate sensorimotor 11 [16%], severe sensorimotor 10 [14%], predominant sensory 17 [24%] predominant motor 5 [7%]. The NCS status showed no statistically significant association with type of treatment, diabetes control or duration. In multiple regression analysis, only clinical neuropathy contributed significantly to NCS status [p = 0.01]. The prevalence of clinical neuropathy in Saudi diabetic patients is similar to that in other populations and the greater sensitivity of NCS has been confirmed