Neurologist, neurophysiologist, MD, PhD, prof. Druzhinin Dmitry Sergeevich

Node of Ranvier

PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHIES

Peripheral neuropathies represent a heterogeneous group of conditions of varying etiology and pathogenesis, united under a single term.

It is precisely for this reason that epidemiological studies in this field are scarce and difficult to conduct.

For example, in the Netherlands the prevalence of neuropathies is 77 new cases per year per 100,000 population [Visser N., 2015].

No such study has been conducted in Russia.

A diagnostic challenge is presented by distinguishing neuropathies as independent diseases from the group of polyneuropathies, which are a manifestation of some underlying pathological condition, for example, a complication of diabetes mellitus or a systemic connective tissue disease.

Improper use and misunderstanding of the term "polyneuropathy", along with diagnostic difficulties in identifying these conditions, lead to delayed initiation of pathogenetic therapy for potentially curable diseases, as a result of which the neurological deficit acquired by the patient during the diagnostic search becomes irreversible, often leading to disability.

The problem of diagnosing and understanding the pathogenesis of peripheral nerve (PN) diseases today extends beyond routine instrumental and laboratory diagnostics.

This is primarily related to the development of neuroimaging methods using MRI and nerve ultrasound.

However, the progressive development of clinical medicine, laboratory diagnostic methods, and neuroimaging has not led to the discovery of biological markers of diseases or methods allowing objective assessment of the effectiveness of polyneuropathy therapy.

This has resulted in the diagnostic algorithms for polyneuropathies changing repeatedly over a short period of time.

In this regard, the search for ways to optimize the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of neuropathies, ensuring a rational clinical and instrumental approach to the problem while taking into account the financial and time costs to the state and the patient, is important today.

All of the above makes any research using a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis of patients with neurological diseases manifesting as peripheral nerve involvement highly relevant.