Median neuropathy at the wrist as an early manifestation of diabetic neuropathy.

Aims/introduction: To elucidate the clinical significance of median neuropathy at the wrist (MN) in patients with diabetes.

Materials And Methods: In total, 340 patients with diabetes who were hospitalized for glycemic control were enrolled in the present study. The diagnoses of MN and diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) were based on electrophysiological criteria.

Intraepidermal nerve fiber density and nerve conduction study parameters correlate with clinical staging of diabetic polyneuropathy.

Aim And Methods: To assess the usefulness of the diagnostic and staging criteria for diabetic polyneuropathy (DP) by the Diabetic Neuropathy Study Group in Japan (DNSGJ) we examined clinical features, intraepidermal nerve fiber densities (IENFD) and nerve conduction studies (NCS) and coefficient of variation of the R-R intervals (CVR-R) in 44 patients with diabetes.

Results: The patients were classified into stage I (n=20), II (n=6), III+IV (n=12), and V (n=6) according to the staging criteria by DNSGJ. IENFD decreased as stages progressed (13.

Serum VEGF--as a prognostic factor of atherosclerosis.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been noted in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. To examine the usefulness of the serum concentration of VEGF as an index of atherosclerosis, we analyzed the serum VEGF concentrations in 443 adults who underwent a medical checkup. The mean serum VEGF concentration of men (229+/-147 pg/ml) was significantly higher than that of women (182+/-112 pg/ml).

[A case of retrobulbar optic neuritis associated with Sjögren syndrome which remitted spontaneously].

A 21-year-old woman came to the department of ophthalmology because of decreased visual acuity detected at the driving license center. MRI revealed T 1 iso-, T 2 hyper-intense, and Gd-enhanced lesion in the left optic nerve adjacent to the optic chiasma. No autoantibodies indicating systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren syndrome, or anti-phospholipid syndrome were elevated except for antinuclear antibody.

[A patient of ADEM with central and peripheral conduction block improved with ultra-high-dose methylprednisolone].

A patient with exanthem and fever showed progressive disturbance of consciousness and flaccid quadriplegia predominantly in the lower extremities. Antibiotics, aciclovir, high-dose methylprednisolone (1 g/day for 3 consecutive days) and IVIG (400 mg/kg/day for 5 consecutive days) were not effective. Nerve conduction study and SEP in the lower extremities showed peripheral and central conduction block.