[Peripheral neuropathy in infantile and juvenile diabetes. A neurophysiological study]

We report on the results of a study on the peripheral nerve function in 40 patients with type I diabetes mellitus with onset in pediatric age. Results have shown a significant decrease in motor and sensory nerve conduction velocities (NCV) in a high percentage of cases, correlated with the degree of metabolic control. The finding of NCV slowing also in patients with a history of diabetes of less than 10 years and the presence in these cases of a high number of complications (autonomic neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy) may suggest that peripheral neuropathy is an early-onset complication and that its prompt recognition through neurophysiological investigations can have some predictive value in forecasting other complications. This hypothesis is to be verified through prospective studies.