TY  - JOUR
T1  - SMall-diameter nerve fiber neuropathy in systemic lupus erythematosus
AU  - Gøransson LG, Tjensvoll AB, Herigstad A, Mellgren SI, Omdal R
Y1  - 2006/03/01
N1  - 10.1001/archneur.63.3.401
JO  - Archives of Neurology
SP  - 401
EP  - 404
VL  - 63
IS  - 3
N2  - Background 
    Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an inflammatory, autoimmune, multiorgan disease often involving the central and peripheral nervous systems.Objective 
    To determine whether there is a selective small-diameter nerve fiber neuropathy in patients with SLE.Design 
    Cross-sectional study.Setting 
    Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.Patients 
    Sixty patients with SLE, aged 43.2 ± 13.5 years (mean ± SD).Interventions 
    Skin biopsies, nerve conduction studies, and clinical neurologic examinations.Main Outcome Measures 
    Density of intraepidermal small-diameter nerve fibers in skin biopsy specimens and large-diameter nerve fiber function as determined by nerve conduction studies and clinical examinations.Results 
    The mean density of intraepidermal small-diameter nerve fibers in patients with SLE was 7.5 ± 3.8/mm. Eight patients (13%) had densities below reference values, consistent with small-diameter nerve fiber neuropathy, and results of nerve conduction studies were normal in 6 of them. Eleven patients (18%) had abnormal results of nerve conduction studies, reflecting large-diameter nerve fiber neuropathy, and 4 patients (7%) were classified by an experienced neurologist as having polyneuropathy after the clinical examination.Conclusions 
    An abnormal reduction in intraepidermal small-diameter nerve fiber densities is evident in some patients despite normal function of their larger nerve fibers. This adds further support to the theory that a pure small-diameter nerve fiber neuropathy may occur in SLE.
SN  - 0003-9942
M3  - doi: 10.1001/archneur.63.3.401
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archneur.63.3.401
ER  -