Sixty diabetic cystopathy patients (symptomatic DCP, 4.9%) among 1236 patients of diabetes mellitus (DM) from May, 1995 to June, 1996 were analyzed to ascertain the usefulness of urodynamic study in the diagnosis of DCP. The mean age was 58 (24--80) years and mean duration of DM was 9 (1~30) years. 36 (60%) patients had diabetic neuropathy, 31 (52%) had diabetic retinopathy and 4 (7%) had diabetic nephropathy. DM was managed by insulin pump (DIABECARETM, 52%) and subcutaneous insulin injection (42%). In residual urine and voiding diaries, residual urine volume more than 40ml was 83%, voiding interval less than 2 or more than 5 hours was 67% and voiding amount less than 200ml or more than 400ml was 48%. According to urodynamic findings, patients were classified as detrusor areflexia (63%), impaired detrusor contractility (18%), detrusor instability (15%) and normal detrusor contraction (3%). There were no significant differences of age, semm-HbA1C, treatment method and duration of diabetes mellitus among above groups. Mean duration of DM in irritative symptom group (32%), combined symptom group (23%) and obstructive symptom group (45%) were 2 years, 8 years and 15 years respectively (p<0.001). The shape of the cystometrographic curve was not influenced by the rate of bladder filling (40ml/min versus 100ml/min). In conclusion, because DCP is marked by insidious onset and progression with minimal symptoms, DCP can be early diagnosed using urodynamic study especially in patients with voiding symptoms and 1ong.DM duration.
Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Insulin ; Urinary Bladder ; Urodynamics*

Foot complications are a well known factor which contribute to the morbidity of diabetes and increases the chance of amputation. A total of 126 consecutive diabetic patients were evaluated by diabetic foot screening. Forty-one patients showed an impaired protective sense when tested with Semmes-Weinstein monofilament 5.07 (10 g), and 92% of them showed peripheral polyneuropathy in nerve conduction study (NCS). The mean vibration score of the Rydel-Seiffer graduated tuning fork in patients with peripheral polyneuropathy in nerve conduction (NCV) study was 5.38+/-2.0, which was significantly different from that of patients without polyneuropathy in NCS. Among the deformities identified on examination, callus, corn, and hallux valgus were the greatest. While checking the ankle/ brachial index (ABI), we also evaluated the integrity of vasculature in the lower extremities. After extensive evaluation, we classified the patients into eight groups (category 0,1,2,3,4A,4B,5,6). The result of this study suggested that the Semmes-Weinstein monofilament test, Rydel-Seiffer graduated tuning fork test, and checking the ankle/brachial index were simple techniques for evaluating pathologic change in the diabetic foot by office screening, and that this screening based on treatment-oriented classification helps to reduce pedal complications in a diabetic population
Diabetic Angiopathies/diagnosis ; Diabetic Angiopathies/complications ; Diabetic Foot/physiopathology ; Diabetic Foot/diagnosis* ; Diabetic Foot/classification ; Diabetic Neuropathies/diagnosis ; Diabetic Neuropathies/complications ; Female ; Foot/physiopathology ; Human ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Middle Age ; Podiatry/methods ; Sensory Thresholds

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy(DPN),a chronic diabetic microvascular complication with a high incidence among diabetic patients,increases the risk of diabetic foot and amputation.Many methods are available for screening and evaluating DPN,including traditional 10 g monofilament,tuning fork and vibration perception,and tendon reflex tests,which should be combined with some nerve function score systems to improve the detection rate and accuracy for DPN.In recent years,a number of noninvasive new techniques have been developed for the evaluation of nerve injury,such as corneal confocal microscopy,quantitative sensory testing,current perception threshold test,sympathetic sudomotor function evaluation,and quantitative detection of skin advanced glycation end products.This paper reviews these noninvasive methods for screening and evaluating DPN to help clinicians detect and focus on DPN early.
Cornea ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Foot ; Diabetic Neuropathies/diagnosis* ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Microscopy, Confocal

The possibility of whether minimal F-wave latency and a simple ratio between the sural and superficial radial sensory response amplitudes may provide a useful electrodiagnostic test in diabetic patients was investigated in this report. To evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity of minimal F-wave latency, the Z-scores of the minimal F-wave latency, motor nerve conduction velocity (MCV), amplitude of compound muscle action potentials (CMAP), and distal latency (DL) of the median, ulnar, tibial, and peroneal nerve were compared in 37 diabetic patients. For the median, ulnar, and tibial nerves, the Z scores of the minimal F-wave latency were significantly larger than those of the MCV. In addition for all four motor nerves, the Z scores of the minimal F-wave latency were significantly larger than those for the CMAP amplitude. Furthermore, 19 subjects showing abnormal results in the standard sensory nerve conduction study had a significantly lower sural/radial amplitude ratio (SRAR), and 84% of them had an SRAR of less than 0.5. In conclusion, minimal F-wave latency and the ratio between the amplitudes of the sural and superficial radial sensory nerve action potential are sensitive measures for the detection of nerve pathology and should be considered in electrophysiologic studies of diabetic polyneuropathy.
Aged ; Diabetic Neuropathies/physiopathology ; Diabetic Neuropathies/diagnosis* ; Electrodiagnosis* ; Female ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Polyneuropathies/physiopathology ; Polyneuropathies/diagnosis* ; Radial Nerve/physiopathology* ; Reaction Time ; Sural Nerve/physiopathology*

Diabetic neuropathy is a complex and common disorder with multiple etiologies and affects about 43.1% of the Korean diabetes population. Good glycemic control slows progression of diabetic neuropathy in subjects with type 1 diabetes but seems to provide little benefit in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Moreover, neuropathy has been shown to develop in humans at stages of prediabetes and in the absence of overt hyperglycemia. Given the increasing incidence of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes and obesity and the impact of diabetic neuropathy on the quality of life of patients, a strategy for early diagnosis and discovery of an effective treatment is important for prevention and progression of diabetic neuropathy. Approximately 14.4% of Korean diabetics with neuropathy have associated pain, and management of this pain has been unsuccessful for many clinicians and patients. Choice of the correct drug(s), dosage, and patient management seems to be based on individualized conditions and needs. Overall, for good management and prevention for diabetic foot morbidities, early and proper diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy is essential, and simple and precise diagnostic methods must be developed.
Diabetic Foot ; Diabetic Neuropathies* ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Incidence ; Obesity ; Pain Management ; Prediabetic State ; Quality of Life

BACKGROUND: Recently, the colour change plaster (NeuroCheck(R)) has been introduced, which measures sweat production on the basis of a colour change from blue to pink. This new test was useful to detect of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the colour change plaster (NeuroCheck(R)) for the diagnosis of cardiac autonomic neuropathy in type 2 diabetic patients. METHODS: This study include 35 type 2 diabetic patients (10 male, 25 female) with a mean age of 55+/-14.9 years and a mean diabetes duration of 11.8+/-8.8 years. Cardiac autonomic neuropathy was diagnosed by means of Ewing's method. Peripheral autonomic neuropathy (Sudomotor function abnormality) was assessed by means of time (more than 600 seconds) until complete colour change in the indicator test. RESULTS: Peripheral autonomic neuropathy was diagnosed in 23 patients (65.7%). Time until starting colour change of plaster in normal and abnormal sudomotor patients were 38.3+/-33.7 sec and 367.1+/-470.3 sec (p<0.05). Time until completing colour change of plaster in normal and abnormal sudomotor patients were 372.5+/-198.8 sec and 1677.4+/-711.9 sec (p<0.05). The autonomic score of two groups were 2.4+/-2.3, 4.6+/-2.2 (p<0.05). Sudomotor abnormal group was older than normal (59.2+/-11.7 yrs, vs 47+/-17.4 yrs). Presence of retinopathy was related with sudomotor abnormality. Peripheral autonomic neuropathy was related with parasympathetic cardiac autonomic neuropathy. Sudomotor function abnormality was related with definite cardiac autonomic neuropathy, but it was not related with early cardiac autonomic neuropathy. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of colour change plaster in the diagnosis of definitive cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy was 86.7%, 62.5%, 68.4% and 83.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The colour change plaster (NeuroCheck(R)) is not useful for the early diagnosis of cardiac autonomic neuropathy in type 2 diabetic neuropathy, but it may be possible for the screening test of definite cardiac autonomic neuropathy.
Diabetic Neuropathies ; Diagnosis* ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sweat

Dizziness is a common symptom in patients with diabetes mellitus; it can lead to or may be confused with presyncope or syncope. The causes of these three symptoms include various drugs, metabolic decompensation, cerebrovascular diseases, vestibular diseases, and diabetic autonomic neuropathy. Although cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) in patients with diabetes is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, CAN might exist in a subclinical state before patients develop resting tachycardia, exercise intolerance, postural hypotension, cardiac dysfunction, and diabetic cardiomyopathy. Thus, it is important to detect CAN in the early phase. This article aimed to review the pathogenesis, manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of diabetic CAN related to dizziness, presyncope, and syncope.
Cerebrovascular Disorders ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Cardiomyopathies ; Diabetic Neuropathies* ; Diagnosis ; Dizziness* ; Humans ; Hypotension, Orthostatic ; Mortality ; Syncope* ; Tachycardia ; Vestibular Diseases

Background : diabetic neuropathy is one of the serious complication of diabetes mellitus and it can cause serious foot problems. These foot problems could be preventable if early detection method of diabetic neuropathy is established. Therefore, essential diagnostic tool is needed. The changes on electrophysiologic studies(EPS) may to be necessarily correlated with clinical neuropathy. Theater has attempted to confirm the thermography as an useful tool for detecting diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Methods : Author has studied 20 patients with diabetes visiting to department of family medicine of Korea University Hospital between December 1, 1998 and June, 30, 1999. All cases were evaluated on clinical criteria. Furthermore, the EPS and thermography have been taken. The author investigated the results of thermograpy and the relation of the clinical diagnosis and EPS. Results : among 20 cases, 12(60.0%) cases have shown abnormality on EPS and 6(30.0%) cases of them was also abnormal on clinical criteria, the other 8(40.0%) cases were normal on EPS. Results of EPS were moderately related to clinical diagnosis. 10(50.0%) cases have shown abnormality on thermography and 6(30.0%) cases of them were also abnormal on clinical criteria, the other 10(50.0%) cases were normal on thermography. Results of thermography were related to clinical diagnosis. Among 12(60.0%) cases were abnormal on EPS, 9(45%) cases also have shown abnormality on thermography. Among 8(40.0%) cases were normal on EPS, 7(35.0%) cases were also normal on thermography. Results of thermography were highly related to EPS. Conclusion : Thermography is a useful diagnostic tool in diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Neuropathies* ; Diagnosis ; Foot ; Humans ; Korea ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Thermography*

It is well recognized that diabetic patients have small pupil. The most likely cause of the abnormally small pupil in diabetics is decreased funcitor of the autonomic nerves. We measured pupil size in 141 control subjects and 53 diabetic patients (29 cases with symptomatic autonomic neuropathy, 24 cases without symptomatic autonomic neuropathy) with portable pupillometry, PUPILSCAN in darkness. Pupils become smaller in healthy and diabetic subjects with advancing age. (log pupil size = 2.05 - 0.066 X age, r: -0.47, pdiabetic patients without symptomatic autonomic neuropathy is not siginificantly smaller than in normal, pupil size in 28 of 29 diabetic patients with symptomatic neuropathy is beyond normal confidence interval and significantly decreased than in normal, Im 3 of 24 cases without symptomatic autonomic neuropathy, pupil size is decreased beyond normal confidence interval. It is believed that measurement of pupil size may be useful for early diagnosis in the diabetic autonomic neuropathy.
Aging* ; Autonomic Pathways ; Darkness ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Miosis ; Pupil*

OBJECTIVES: It is important to consider the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy in determining a diagnostic approach. To evaluate diabetic neuropathy, an appropriate questionnaire for Korean diabetic patients is required. In 1994, Feldman et al. proposed the two-step diagnostic approach which included a questionnaire. To adapt a diagnostic approach and questionnaire for Korean diabetics, we initially diagnosed diabetic neuropathy by using Feldman's method and by assessing the efficiency of their method for Korean diabetics as a preliminary study. METHODS: We diagnosed diabetic neuropathy with Feldman's method in 99 NIDDM patients who visited Ajou university hospital from October 1, 1996 to April 30, 1997. The sensitivity and specificity of Feldman's 4 diagnostic procedures were ebaluated. To include the highly specific symptoms in the diagnostic approach, we applied a different scoring system(from 5 to 1) to the questionnaire accroding to specificity and then evaluated the sensitivity and specificity with this new system. If the sensitivity and specificity were 60% or more, the new scoring system was regarded as clinically useful. RESULTS: Using Feldman's method, the sensitivity of MNSIQ and MNSIC was 12.8% and the specificity was 88.3% and 98.3%, respectively. The sensitivity of MDNS and NCV was 100% and the specificity was 68.3% and 61.6%, respectively. The new scoring system consisted of 13 of 15 questions with sensitivity of 46.2% and specificity of 71.7%, omitting 2 questions due to possible relation to vascular symptoms. Among the 4 diagnostic procedures, the strongest correlation existed between MDNS and NCV. None of the procedures had a significant correlatiion with MNSIQ. MNSIC, which shares similar characteristics with MDNS, had significant correlation with MDNS and NCV, but its sensitivity was very low. CONCLUSON: MNSIQ and MNSIC were not useful as screening instruments in the diagnostic approach to diabetic neuropathy using Feldman's method. Thus, a new questionnaire composed of symptoms common in Korean diabetic patients should be designed, and MNSIC could be omitted from the diagnostic approach.
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Diabetic Neuropathies* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Surveys and Questionnaires