Eva Vlčková

A-waves increase the risk of developing neuropathy

A‐waves, which are observed following the M‐wave during motor nerve conduction studies (NCS), are late responses that are frequently found in many types of neurogenic disorders. However, A‐waves are also common in healthy individuals, where their significance remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine whether the occurrence of A‐waves does in fact represent an increased risk for the future development of changes upon NCS or needle electromyography (EMG) in the corresponding nerve.

ID 321 – Is intraepidermal nerve fiber density a reliable biomarker of progression in painful and painless diabetic polyneuropathy?

We aimed to confirm usefulness of intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) as a marker of progression of diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) in patients with early type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). In a group of 23 healthy subjects (median age 57xa0years, 14xa0men) and 30 DM2 patients (median age 60xa0years, 17xa0men) we serially evaluated skin biopsies from distal leg. Eighteen DM2 patients complied with the criteria of symptomatic diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) and 12 had no neuropathy (nDPN). Time interval between biopsies were >2xa0years (median, range: 29.6, 24.7–58.4, and 33.8, 25.5–54.1xa0months in controls and DM2 patients, respectively). At first skin biopsy, the IENFD was normal in all controls and nDPN patients compared to abnormal IENFD in 77.8% of DPN patients. Drop in IENFD expressed as a proportion of the 1st IENFD value in % per year in both painful and painless DPN patients was significantly higher (11.95[3.82]%/year, p In conclusion, decrease in IENFD values in early DM2 patients is about 12% of the initial IENFD value irrespective of symptoms and/or signs of DPN at initial evaluation and several times quicker compared to healthy subjects.