title: [Ischemic neuropathy].
abstract: Ischemia plays an important role in the development of neuropathies associated with various disorders, such as peripheral vascular occlusive diseases, necrotizing vasculitides, diabetes mellitus and nerve compression or trauma. Although a multiple mononeuropathy or an asymmetrical polyneuropathy is the usual clinical presentation of ischemic neuropathy, some patients present with a neuropathy that is mainly distal and symmetrical. Pathologically, nerve ischemia results in focal or multifocal central fascicular or sector fiber degeneration. These ischemic lesions tend to begin at mid-upper arm or midthigh level, which is the watershed zone of poor perfusion, and become more diffuse distally. Nerve ischemia at the level of distal small fascicles often induces sub-perineurial crescent lesion rather than central fascicular fiber degeneration. Physiologically, reduced nerve blood flow with endoneurial hypoxia has been demonstrated in experimental diabetic and galactose neuropathies. Endoneurial ischemia/hypoxia in galactose neuropathy appears to be due to increased intercapillary distances and constriction of trans-perineurial vessels resulting from endoneurial edema. Although acute ischemic neuropathy has been well investigated, little is known about functional or structural responses of peripheral nerve to chronic ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Otago.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nukada
mesh_terms: D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000150:complications*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000473:pathology; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology