Autonomic and peripheral neuropathy in chronic alcoholic liver disease

Peripheral and autonomic neuropathy has been evaluated, both by clinical and neurophysiological and by clinical methods, respectively, in 33 alcoholics, 20 of them cirrhotics. Nerve dysfunction was compared with liver function parameters, the Child-Pugh score, and parameters derived from ethanol consumption. Few relationships were obtained between the autonomic and peripheral nerve dysfunction, and between these and liver function impairment, although Pugh's score was higher when hyporeflexia and altered heart rate response to orthostatism were present. Thus, in the alcoholic, autonomic and peripheral neuropathy, seem to be dependent on each other, whereas there appears to be a weak correlation between liver function and both autonomic and peripheral neuropathy.