title: Asymptomatic vasculitic neuropathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We performed a retrospective analysis of the clinical, pathological, and electrophysiological features of 21 cases of Asymptomatic vasculitic neuropathy (AsVN).
  
  
  METHODS
  Among 270 patients with biopsy-proven vasculitic neuropathy, we identified 21 (7.8%) who had asymptomatic neuropathy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 21 patients with AsVN, 11 were women and 10 were men. Their mean age was 62.5 years. Referring physicians suspected systemic vasculitis on the basis of clinical and laboratory features, but none of the patients had neuropathy by examination. Screening nerve conduction studies identified neuropathy in all patients, leading us to perform a sural nerve biopsy, which confirmed the diagnosis of vasculitis. Twelve patients had active (type I), 6 had inactive (type II), and 3 had probable (type III) vasculitis. Vasculitis was primary in 10 patients and secondary in 11.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nerve conduction study is an important tool for identifying AsVN, a subtype of vasculitic neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, UAB Station, Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, USA.|Faculty of Medicine, Gaziosmanpasa University, Tokat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Semiha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, UAB Station, Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alsharabati
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, UAB Station, Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, UAB Station, Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Gwendolyn C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Claussen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, UAB Station, Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Shin J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Oh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / Q000378:metabolism; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction; D011115:Polyneuropathies / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic
keywords: asymptomatic; nerve conduction study; neuropathy; vasculitic neuropathy; vasculitis