Thoracic polyradiculopathy--abdominal wall swelling and sensory symptoms in diabetes mellitus

We describe two patients with type 2 diabetes who presented with abdominal pain secondary to thoracic polyradiculopathy. In the first patient abdominal pain occurred in association with marked abdominal distension; extensive negative gastrointestinal investigations were performed before the correct diagnosis was made by electromyography showing thoracic paraspinal muscle denervation. In the second case, truncal sensory symptoms alone were evident at the time of diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. While muscle laxity was absent, extensive paraspinal muscle denervation was detected. Tolrestat, an aldose reductase inhibitor, was associated with good clinical response of symptoms due to peripheral neuropathy and thoracic polyradiculopathy. The pathogenesis of thoracic polyradiculopathy is uncertain but is likely to be the result of multiple infarcts along the course of thoracic spinal nerves accounting.