Idiopathic polyneuropathy and impaired glucose metabolism in a Norwegian patient series.
OBJECTIVE
North American studies have indicated a high prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in patients with sensory polyneuropathy. We searched for the occurrence of IGT in a Norwegian patient material with polyneuropathy.


METHODS
Seventy patients with symptoms and signs of sensory polyneuropathy were included. Cases with known causes of neuropathy were excluded. All patients underwent a 2 h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Nerve conduction studies (NCS), quantitative sensory testing (QST) and skin biopsy with assessment of intra-epidermal nerve fibre (IENF) density were performed.


RESULTS
Sixteen patients (23%) had impaired glucose metabolism (IGM): 2 (3%) were found to have diabetes, 9 (13%) had IGT, 3 (4%) had impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and 2 (3%) both IFG and IGT. About 62% of the patients with IGM and polyneuropathy and 50% of those with chronic idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy (CIAP) had abnormalities on NCS. Reduction of IENF occurred in 37% of the patients with IGM and 43% of those with CIAP.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with polyneuropathy and IGM had essentially the same degree of involvement of small and large nerve fibres as patients with CIAP. IGT seems less frequent in Norwegian patients with polyneuropathy than reported in North American populations.
Department of Neurology, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway. maria.nebuchennykh@unn.no
M
M
Nebuchennykh
S
S
Løseth
R
R
Jorde
S I
SI
Mellgren
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D009664:Norway; D011115:Polyneuropathies / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology
D005947:Glucose