title: Early detection of distal symmetrical polyneuropathy during HIV infection by paired stimulation of sural nerve.
abstract: In 203 HIV infected patients in various clinical stages neurological examination, paired stimulation (LPSS), nerve conduction velocity (NCVS) and amplitude (AMPS) of the sural nerve, distal latency (DLP), nerve conduction velocity (NCVP), amplitude (AMPP) and F waves of the peroneal nerve were recorded. Neurological examination revealed symptoms and clinical signs of polyneuropathy in 67 (33%) (WR 1-6) of the patients. LPSS after paired stimulation was abnormal in 25.5%, NCVS in 14.2%, AMPS in 9.8%, NCVP in 11.8%, DLP in 11.2%, AMPP in 5.9% and FWP in 14.6%. Our findings indicate a high incidence of peripheral nerve system involvement during HIV infection. In 11.5% of all patients only LPSS proved polyneuropathy. Neurophysiological results from HIV infected patients with symptoms and clinical signs of polyneuropathy were statistically significantly different from HIV infected patients without symptoms and clinical signs of polyneuropathy. The delay of LPSS represents the most sensitive neurophysiological indicator of polyneuropathy during HIV infection and announces the onset of peripheral nerve disease even in early stages of infection, according to Walter Reed staging classification 1 and 2 (approx. 20%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: I W
authors.initials: IW
authors.lastname: Husstedt
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Grotemeyer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zidek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*