polyneuropathy

(pol″ē-noo-rop′ă-thē )

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[ poly- + neuropathy ]
Any disease that affects multiple peripheral nerves.

SYMPTOMS
People with polyneuropathy typically have pain, tingling sensations, or loss of muscle and muscular function, often distally (in the feet and sometimes in the hands). The symptoms usually occur symmetrically, i.e., on both sides of the body.

DIAGNOSIS
Nerve conduction velocity testing and needle electromyography are used to diagnosis neuropathic diseases.

PREVALENCE
About one in seven Americans over the age of 40 are affected by polyneuropathy. The prevalence is growing primarily as a result of an increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus. Polyneuropathy can also be acquired after exposure to chemotherapeutic drugs or other toxins. Congenital polyneuropathies include Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and familial dysautonomia, among others.

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