title: Peripheral neuropathy electrophysiological screening in inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Peripheral neuropathy is often described in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this study was to assess the need for neurophysiological testing in IBD patients without neurological symptoms or signs to detect early subclinical neuropathy and its possible correlations with clinical and demographic characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-seven consecutive IBD patients were screened for neurological symptoms and clinical signs, and those without symptoms or signs were included. Also, patients with comorbidities associated with peripheral neuropathy or a history of neurological disease were excluded. The remaining 45 asymptomatic patients were tested electrophysiologically for peripheral nerve involvement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the examined patients showed evidence for subclinical neuropathy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IBD patients with a normal neurological clinical examination and no symptoms have no evidence for neuropathy. Therefore, proper electrophysiological testing is not considered necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastro-Enterology, Democritus University of Thrace, Dragana, Alexandroupoli, Greece.
authors.forename: Asimenia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Babali
authors.forename: Aikaterini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terzoudi
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vadikolias
authors.forename: Vasileios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Souftas
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kleitsas
authors.forename: Michail
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pitiakoudis
authors.forename: Haritomeni
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Piperidou
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lirantzopoulos
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kouklakis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000502:physiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures; D055815:Young Adult