title: [Clinical characteristics of Cuban epidemic neuropathy].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  At the beginning of 1992 an epidemic neuropathy was seen in Cuba.
  
  
  METHODS
  To determine the clinical characteristics we studied the clinical and neurological features, cerebrospinal fluid, and did neurophysiological investigations and sural nerve biopsies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty patients were studied. Of these, 42 (70%) had polyneuropathy which was predominantly peripheral and 18 (30%) had combined forms. Most patients had asthenia and weight loss. The polyneuropathic effects were mainly in the legs. In 33.3% of the patients there were distal autonomic effects and sphincter disorders. Only 7 patients had hypoacusia. However, subclinical neurosensorial hypoacusia was seen in 33.3%. Optic neuropathy affected central vision bilaterally and symmetrically with temporal pallor of the papilla in half the cases. In 3 patients there was loss of ganglionar nerve fibres of the papillo-macula bundle. The contrast sensitivity visual test was abnormal in some patients with peripheral polyneuropathy, showing subclinical optic neuropathy in these cases. Sensory neuroconduction suggested axonal neuropathy in 30 patients, demyelinating neuropathy in 5 patients, while the remainder were normal. Motor neuroconduction was normal in most patients. Sural nerve biopsy of 27 patients showed axon damage in 96.2% of cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical picture is similar to that seen in nutritional deficiencies and toxic processes.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clínico Quirúrgico Hermanos Ameijeiras, La Habana, Cuba.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gómez-Viera
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Silva
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pérez-Nellar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tellería-Díaz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nassiff
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Márquez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cáceres
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rivero-Arias
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001369:Axons / Q000473:pathology; D001706:Biopsy; D003462:Cuba / Q000453:epidemiology; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009134:Muscular Atrophy, Spinal / Q000150:complications; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000473:pathology; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis
vernacular_title: Caracterización clínica de la neuropatía epidémica cubana.