title: Peripheral neuropathies of childhood.
abstract: This article has provided a brief overview of the most common inherited and acquired peripheral nerve diseases encountered in childhood. The diagnostic approach of peripheral neuropathies in children often relies on some combination of careful history taking, physical examination findings, a careful determination of family history, electrodiagnostic studies, molecular genetic studies, sural nerve biopsy, and occasionally metabolic laboratory studies. Although pediatric mononeuropathies may have different causes than those observed in adults, the clinical presentations, diagnostic evaluation, and management of mononeuropathies are frequently similar in adults and children. Encouraging progress is being made in the management of acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP), which is the most common acquired neuropathy of childhood. Rapid advances in molecular genetics over the past decade have had a significant impact on our diagnostic approach to hereditary motor sensory neuropathy in particular. In the future it is likely that the sequencing of genes, characterization of protein structure and function, and further elucidation of pathophysiology will have significant impacts on the treatment of many inherited peripheral neuropathies of childhood.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Rehabilitation Research, Neuromuscular Disease Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California, USA.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: McDonald
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D002607:Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution