title: Differential response to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy among multifocal and polyneuropathy types of painful diabetic neuropathy.
abstract: Peripheral neuropathy associated with diabetes mellitus often causes severe neuropathic pain that is difficult to alleviate. We evaluated the effect of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy on six patients with two phenotypes of painful diabetic neuropathy: three patients with multifocal neuropathy and three with symmetric polyneuropathy. All patients were treated with IVIg therapy and pain levels were evaluated on the Visual Analog Scale. Three patients were also assessed by quantitative sensory testing. All three patients with multifocal neuropathy showed a marked improvement in severe pain, while the patients with symmetric polyneuropathy did not respond to IVIg therapy. Pain associated with diabetic neuropathy is multifactorial and causative factors are heterogeneous. Our results show that IVIg therapy can alleviate pain in patients with multifocal diabetic neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-Cho, Showa-Ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawagashira
authors.forename: Hirohisa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Saori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morozumi
authors.forename: Iijima
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Iijima
authors.forename: Haruki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koike
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sobue
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000628:therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011115:Polyneuropathies / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous