Painful diabetic neuropathies, cases report and diagnostic criteria

Abstract

Painful diabetic neuropathy is a model for the investigation of drug’s efficacy in neuropathic pain. Diabetes, through multiple pathophysiological mechanisms causes several painful neuropathies. In this paper two clinical cases of painful diabetic neuropathic conditions are described and clinical and neurophysiological criteria to make the correct diagnosis are examined. Diabetes causes different painful diabetic neuropathies, at times even in a single patient. Different types of pains may originate from different nerve injuries, and harbour different pathophysiological mechanisms. A comprehensive and accurate evaluation of clinical and neurophysiological abnormalities in painful diabetic neuropathies provides insight on the pathophysiological mechanism and directs the clinician towards rational treatment strategies.

Keywords

• Diabetes
• painful diabetic neuropathy
• neuropathic pain