title: [Peripheral neuropathies: Diagnostic strategy].
abstract: Diagnosing a peripheral neuropathy is sometimes challenging, as the causes are diverse and the clinical pictures heterogeneous. Overall, diagnosing a patient with peripheral neuropathy will require some knowledge in almost every field of medicine. Therefore, it appears crucial to adopt a diagnostic strategy that is based on solid clinical and neurophysiological grounds. The present paper describes a three-step diagnostic strategy: (1) to delineate a clinico-pathologic entity from clinical and electrodiagnostic findings; (2) to propose a list of plausible causes based on step one, history and clinical context; (3) to use appropriate workup in order to determine the cause or mechanism of the neuropathy. The three steps of this diagnostic strategy necessitate a high level of expertise and interaction between physicians is highly desirable. Finally, an aggressive course and a severe impairment should lead to relentlessly look for a curable cause.
authors.affiliation: Service et laboratoire de neurologie, centre de référence « neuropathies périphériques rares », FILNEMUS, EA 6309 « maintenance myélinique et neuropathies périphériques », CHU Dupuytren, 2, avenue Martin-Luther-King, 87 042 Limoges cedex, France. Electronic address: laurent.magy@unilim.fr.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Magy
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D003943:Diagnostic Techniques, Neurological; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000379:methods; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Electrodiagnostic study; Neuropathies périphériques; Peripheral neuropathy; Électroneuromyogramme