A patient with diabetes may develop a number of findings related to a polyneuropathy affecting nerves of the trunk.
Synonym: diabetic thoracic radiculopathy, diabetic truncal mononeuropathy, diabetic thoracoabdominal radiculoneuropathy, diabetic intercostals neuralgia, diabetic pseudovisceral syndrome
Clinical findings may include:
(1) chest and/or abdominal pain with or without a radicular pattern
(2) sensory loss over the trunk
(3) truncal pruritus
(4) dysesthesias over the trunk
Electromyography can be used to confirm changes in the implicated nerve.
Skin biopsy may show a loss of intraepidermal nerve fibers (IENF).
