Peripheral neuropathy

Abstract

This chapter reviews the epidemiology of distal, symmetrical polyneuropathy. There are few reliable data on the epidemiology of peripheral neuropathy in general, and there have been no published attempts to measure the burden of disability in the population. We survey the evidence on a series of groups of conditions: genetic, diabetic, inflammatory, infective, toxic (including drugs), nutritional and paraneoplastic. Again, there are few data on the extent of disability attributable to neuropathies due to individual causes. A recurring theme in the chapter is the need for rigorous diagnostic criteria, since clinical classification of peripheral neuropathy is in many conditions neither specific nor sensitive. © 2007 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.