A prospective study on the use of the indicator test Neuropad® for the early diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy in type 2 diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the contribution of the indicator test for sudomotor function Neuropad® to the early diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Included were 109 type 2 diabetic patients (55 men, mean age 56.15 ± 6.14 years), whose initial clinical examination (Neuropathy Disability Score, NDS) was negative for neuropathy. Patients were first examined between January and June 2004 and re-examined 5 years later by the NDS and Neuropad ®. Initially, 70 patients (64.22%) had normal and 39 (35.78%) patients had abnormal Neuropad® (groups A and B, respectively). NDS was significantly higher in group B on both examinations (p < 0.001). On the second examination, 2 patients (2.86%) in group A and 10 patients (25.64%) in group B had developed neuropathy (p = 0.001). Neuropad® had 83.33% sensitivity and 68.04% specificity for neuropathy. There was a modest but significant agreement (kappa = 0.259, p < 0.001) between Neuropad® and NDS for neuropathy.


CONCLUSIONS
Among type 2 diabetic patients with normal NDS, development of neuropathy is significantly more frequent in those with abnormal Neuropad®. These results suggest a potential utility of Neuropad® for the earlier diagnosis of neuropathy in type 2 diabetes.
Papanas
N
N
Outpatient Clinic of Obesity, Diabetes and Metabolism in the Second Department of Internal Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece. papanasnikos@yahoo.gr
Papatheodorou
K
K
Papazoglou
D
D
Kotsiou
S
S
Maltezos
E
E
D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000175:diagnosis*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic