[Doubtfullness of the diagnosis diabetic neuropathy]

The diabetic neuropathy is sufficiently to be defined neither from the point of view of diabetes nor from neurological findings. There are no diagnostic criteria appliable to the individual case. Therefore, the diagnosis diabetic neuropathy is to be valuated as exclusion diagnosis. It presumes above all a careful clarification of the neurological syndrome present taking into consideration all diseases of muscles, nerves and spinal cord which are of importance in differential diagnosis. Instead of issuing from the alternative diabetogenic or nondiabetogenic, the possibility of pathogenetic combinations should rather be taken into consideration. It seems to be suitable to avoid the name diabetic neuropathy in practice and to speak only of a neuropathy or polyneuropathy (which is possibly to be described more exactly) in diabetes.