Peripheral neuropathy in liver cirrhosis. A clinical and electrophysiological study.
Clinical symptoms and/or signs of peripheral neuropathy were found in 17 of the 19 patients we studied with liver cirrhosis. In 16 of the 19 patients electrophysiological abnormalities were also observed. Mild-moderate alterations involved both motor and sensory fibres, with a higher incidence in the lower rather than upper limbs, and indicated a fibre loss rather than a fibre demyelination. These changes were observed in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cirrhotics, suggesting a primary role of liver cirrhosis per se. In fact, both the clinical and electrophysiological abnormalities were related to the severity of the liver disease. A careful clinical examination could reveal the presence and extent of neuropathy in most cirrhotic patients.
Perretti
A
A
Cattedra di Neurofisiopatologia, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università Federico II, Napoli, Italy.
Gentile
S
S
Balbi
P
P
Persico
M
M
Caruso
G
G
D000368:Aged; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009431:Neural Conduction; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010543:Peroneal Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology