[Natural history of non specific neuralgias of the limbs. Exponential kinetics of the root pain recovery in sciatica and femoral neuralgia; uncertain kinetics for brachial neuralgia].

Very few studies are dedicated to the natural history of sciatica, and none to femoral neuralgia or brachial neuralgia natural course. Hence, the results of a collection of five studies on these topics appear worth being published. A rheumatology department. The first study was a retrospective comparison of sciatica (145 patients) and femoral neuralgia (63 patients). The second study was a retrospective study concerning 107 patients with sciatica observed in a second different period. A third and a fourth retrospective studies were carried out on 38 femoral neuralgia and 69 brachial neuralgia patients. The fifth study was a prospective cohort study on patients with sciatica. As there are no diagnosis criteria for non specific neuralgias, the diagnosis was based on seniors' opinion. Neuralgia due to specific causes were carefully excluded. As there are no relevant outcomes measures specially dedicated to idiopathic acute root pain, the full recovery of root pain was used as endpoint. The kinetics of sciatica and of femoral neuralgia recoveries are related Plotted as neuralgia survival sciatica as well as femoral neuralgia exhibited a decreasing, exponential kinetics curve. Half sciatica disappear each 6 to 7 weeks. Half femoral neuralgia disappear each 5 to 6 weeks. The brachial neuralgia survival exhibited a more complex kinetics. These pilot studies, do not allow definitive conclusions. Nevertheless, given the scarcity of available data, they may be used as a factual basis for perfectly designed prospective inception cohort studies.