Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common medical disorders often associated with neurological complications. Peripheral neuropathy is the most common neurological complication from diabetes with a prevalence of 10–26% of newly diagnosed adult diabetics. Diabetic neuropathy is a heterogeneous group of conditions that present with sensory and/or motor and/or autonomic dysfunction and affect different parts of the peripheral nervous system. Diabetic neuropathy might present as a polyneuropathy, mononeuropathy, mononeuropathy multiplex, radiculopathy, and/or plexopathy. Diabetic neuropathies may also be associated with foot ulcers and infections in 5–24% of patients, which translate into five out of 1000 of diabetics ending with an amputation. Therefore, it is essential to screen diabetic patients for early recognition and management of diabetic neuropathies.