[Electrophysiological evaluation of polyneuropathy in juvenile insulin dependent diabetics]

Thirty patients with juvenile insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) were electrophysiologically evaluated. In addition to the conventional motor and sensory nerve conduction studies, intrafascicular microneurography was performed in the median nerve. In this method a tungsten microelectrode was inserted into the median nerve trunk at the elbow, and a compound nerve action potential (CNAP) was recorded with supramaximal electrical stimulation at the wrist. The subjects' age ranged from 8 to 31 years with an average (SD) of 15.4 (6.2) years; the disease duration varied from 1 to 23 years with an average (SD) of 8.3 (5.8) years. Polyneuropathy index (PNI), expressed as a mean percentage of the normal for twelve indices over the four nerves obtained by motor conduction studies, was 93.9% on the average in patients with IDDM. The mean amplitude of CNAP obtained by intrafascicular microneurography was 417 microV. These results indicate that neuropathy in IDDM is milder than that in adult non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The mean value of PNI decreased at a rate of 0.56% per year; the mean glycosylated hemoglobin (A1c) level was as high as 8.2 +/- 0.9%, findings consistent with those of the previous analysis of adult patients with NIDDM. The PNI value had a significant negative correlation with the duration of diabetes mellitus (p < 0.001) and with mean glycosylated hemoglobin (A1c) level (p < 0.01). CNAP amplitude had a tendency to correlate with duration of diabetes mellitus (p < 0.1). In patients with IDDM we can tell exactly when the disease occurred. Progression of neuropathy in juvenile IDDM was identical to that of adult NIDDM. Careful management of diabetes mellitus is of importance to prevent the progression of neuropathy.