Diagnosis of Peripheral Neuropathy

Time Course of Peripheral Neuropathy

The time course of peripheral neuropathy (PN) varies based on its underlying cause. Examples include:

• With trauma or circulatory problems, the onset of PN symptoms will be acute or sudden, with the most severe symptoms occurring at the onset.
• Inflammatory and some metabolic neuropathies have a subacute course extending over days to weeks. A chronic course over weeks to months usually indicates a toxic or metabolic neuropathy. A chronic, slowly progressive neuropathy over many years occurs with most hereditary neuropathies.
• Demyelinating neuropathies are commonly inflammatory and treatable. They may present either with acute symptoms or chronic symptoms. Acute presentation of symtpoms is seen with conditions such as with Guillain-Barre syndrome where symptoms of weakness and sensory disturbances worsen and reach a peak over one month. Chronic presentation of symptoms is seen with conditions such as or with chronic symptoms where symptoms evolve over a longer period (more than four weeks) such as in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP).