BMJ 2002;324:466-469 ( 23 February )

Clinical review

Regular review

Peripheral neuropathy

Richard A C Hughes, professor of neurology. 

Department of Neuroimmunology, Guy's Campus, Guy's, King's, and St Thomas's School of Medicine, London SE1 1UL

richard.a.hughes@kcl.ac.uk

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Peripheral neuropathy is common, often distressing, and sometimes disabling or even fatal. The population prevalence is about 2400 per 100 000 (2.4%), rising with age to 8000 per 100 000 (8%).¹ In Europe the commonest cause is diabetes mellitus, which can produce painful neuropathy, disabling foot ulcers, and death from autonomic neuropathy. Leprosy is still prevalent in Africa, India, and South East Asia. This review explains how general practitioners can approach the first level of diagnosis and warn patients about what lies ahead after referral to a specialist.

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	Methods

I searched Medline from January 1991 until September 2001 using the terms "peripheral neuropathy" and "guideline." The search yielded 11 references, including useful guidelines for the diagnosis and management of diabetic peripheral neuropathy,² but no guidelines on the diagnosis and management of generic peripheral neuropathy. This article offers a personal approach to the management of generalised peripheral neuropathy from the perspective of a neurologist with a special interest in . . . [Full text of this article]

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