[Clinical and paraclinical investigations of chronic polyneuropathies]

Given the composition of the nerve fibre, the signs and symptoms of chronic polyneuropathy are not uniform. Clinically, they include sensory, motor and reflex signs and symptoms with, according to the case, association of sensory, either painful or not, motor and sensory-motor forms, with a reflex component. Electrophysiologic tests can usually distinguish initially axonal lesions from those due to initial myelin alteration. Nerve biopsy, although not a routine examination, brings precise information concerning etiology.