[Neuropathy associated with arteriosclerosis]

To determine the frequency and characteristics of the neuropathy associated with arteriosclerosis.

A prospective clinical and electrophysiological study was made of 29 male patients with arteriosclerosis, in whom other causes of polyneuropathy had been excluded.

Eleven patients complained of paresthesiae (mostly mild). In 11 patients there were signs of polyneuropathy on clinical examination. Neurophysiological studies were abnormal in 11 patients, suggesting the presence of predominantly sensitive axonal neuropathy. In five patients with paresthesiae both physical examination and electrophysiological studies were normal. In 17 patients there were changes in the somatosensory evoked potentials. The brainstem auditory evoked potentials of 27 patients were suggestive of diffuse changes in central nervous conduction, together with super-imposed focal lesions. There were no differences as regards age, signs of disease in the legs or of the involvement of widespread illness, whether they were smokers, ex-smokers or non-smokers, the number of cigarettes smoked daily or the total duration of the smoking habit between the patients with and without clinical or electrophysiological polyneuropathy.

Approximately one third of the patients with arteriosclerosis have clinical or electrophysiological signs suggestive of predominantly sensitive axonal polyneuropathy. In some cases the patients had paresthesia but no changes were seen on physical or electrophysiological examination. The evoked potentials showed diffuse changes in central nervous conduction, and in some cases this was associated with signs of focal lesions.