[Diabetic polyneuropathy in children and adolescents]

Clinical electroneuromyography (ENMG) was carried out in 63 children aged 2-17 years with polyneuropathy (PNP). Correlations were studied between the results of the laboratory studies and ENMG evidence, duration, severity of diabetes mellitus (DM). Diabetic PNP was characterised as demyelinating motor-sensory or sensory PNP. ENMG signs of axonopathy and of a sensory block of the conductivity through the nerves of lower extremities at early stages of DM were estimated as prognostically unfavourable ones in terms of trophic complications development. Duration of DM had some influence on the nervous conductivity, while axonal function was more stable. The factor that determined the severity of PNP course was the age of DM onset. It resulted in the necessity of more accurate control because of the risk of PNP development in children with DM onset at the age of 12-13 years. At early stages of DM conductivity through peripheral nerves correlated with the level of glycosylated hemoglobin and with the frequency of hypoglycemic states.