Diabetes Metab J.  2018 Oct;42(5):442-446. 10.4093/dmj.2017.0090.

The Necessity of the Simple Tests for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients without Neuropathic Symptoms in Clinical Practice

• Park JH
• Kim DS

• KMID: 2422789
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4093/dmj.2017.0090

Abstract

Early recognition and appropriate management of diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy (DPNP) is important. We evaluated the necessity of simple, non-invasive tests for DPNP detection in clinical practice. We enrolled 136 randomly-chosen patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and examined them with the 10-g Semmes-Weinstein monofilament examination, the 128-Hz tuning-fork, ankle-reflex, and pinprick tests; the Total Symptom Score and the 15-item self-administered questionnaire of the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument. Among 136 patients, 48 had subjective neuropathic symptoms and 88 did not. The abnormal-response rates varied depending on the methods used according to the presence of subjective neuropathic symptoms (18.8% vs. 5.7%, P < 0.05; 58.3% vs. 28.4%, P < 0.005; 81.3% vs. 54.5%, P < 0.005; 12.5% vs. 5.7%, P=0.195; 41.7% vs. 2.3%, P < 0.001; and 77.1% vs. 9.1%, P < 0.001; respectively). The largest abnormal response was derived by combining all methods. Moreover, these tests should be implemented more extensively in diabetic patients without neuropathic symptoms to detect DPNP early.

Keyword

Diabetes mellitus; Diabetic neuropathies; Diagnosis; Neurologic examination; Surveys and questionnaires

MeSH Terms

Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2*
Diabetic Neuropathies
Diagnosis
Humans
Mass Screening
Michigan
Neurologic Examination
Peripheral Nervous System Diseases*
Polyneuropathies
Surveys and Questionnaires

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