Clinical and Electrophysiological Characteristics of Alcoholic Neuropathy.
- Author:
Sung Hyun LEE
1
;
Han Bo LEE
;
Seong Ho PARK
;
Kwang Woo LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- MeSH:
Action Potentials;
Alcohol Drinking;
Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium;
Alcoholic Neuropathy*;
Alcoholics*;
Axons;
Hospitals, Urban;
Humans;
Liver Diseases;
Male;
Meals;
Pellagra;
Peripheral Nervous System Diseases;
Sural Nerve
- From:Journal of the Korean Neurological Association
1995;13(3):528-535
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Authors analyzed clinical and electrophysiological features of 35 patients with alcoholic neuropathy who had visited the Boramae City Hospital. All patients were men. Most of the cases drank alcohol everyday. The duration of alcohol consumption is from 2 to 47 years (mean, 17.8 years). Patients with relatively short history of alcohol consumption had a tendency to take more inadequate meals. Clinically we found two distinct separable categories ; one was sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy associated with other alcoholic complications, such as Wemicke and Pellagra disease, delirium tremens, liver disease etc(24 patients). The other had subacutely progressing prominent weakness with sensory change, especially in lower extremities(ll patients). Electrophysiological studies showed decreased amplitudes of sensory or motor compound action potentials with relative preservation of conduction velocity favoring axonal neuropathy. Among the electrophysiological parameters, abnormalities in F-wave(78.3%), H-reflex(86.4%) and sural nerve conduction studies(78.8%) were more frequently observed than in others, which were thought to be more sensitive parameters with early involvement. In terms of electrophysiological pattern there were no definite diffemeces between the two groups.
