[Peripheral nervous system and panarteritis nodosa. Review of 27 cases]

Twenty-seven cases of panarteritis nodosa (PAN) with peripheral neuropathy are reported. Diagnosis was based on pathological criteria of necrotizing vasculitis in 20 patients (group I) and on clinical, biological and sometimes arteriographic data in 7 (group II). The 27 patients (18 women and 9 men), aged between 30 and 78 years (mean: 53.4 years), presented either a mono- or multineuropathy (8 cases), a polyneuropathy (17 cases), or sensory symptoms (2 cases). A neuropathy was the initial feature of the PAN in 15 cases. The CSF, examined in 16 cases, was always normal, and results of electrophysiological investigations constantly suggested the presence of an axonal neuropathy with normal motor nerve conduction rates. Other signs of PAN included fever (81 p. 100 cases) and loss of weight (74 p. 100). The ESR was increased in 70 p. 100 cases and hypereosinophilia was present in 33 p. 100. Quantitative pathology in 13 cases from group I revealed typical findings, and associated microvasculitis in 4 cases. The outcome was fatal in 13 cases while 12 recovered and have been followed up for from 1 to 14 years.