ABSTRACT
Diseases of the peripheral nervous system are common. Patients often present with complaints of numbness and tingling. The many diagnostic possibilities include endocrinopathies, malignancies, infections, and metabolic, toxic, inflammatory, and genetic disorders. Considering all the potential causes of polyneuropathy is impractical. It has been estimated that a cause will not be identified, despite a thorough evaluation, in almost one-half of patients who have neuropathy (13%-22% at specialty centers). Diagnosis is essential to avoid missing a correctable neuropathy and to provide accurate prognostic information. This chapter considers the common polyneuropathies and focal neuropathies that underlie patients’ complaints of sensory loss and paresthesias (ie, spontaneous abnormal sensations).
