PARANODAL STRUCTURE IN DIABETIC SENSORY POLYNEUROPATHY

Observations have been made on the structure of the paranodal region a t nodes of Ranvier in the sural nerve of patients with diabetic sensor y polyneuropathy. The structure of the paranodes was examined with par ticular attention to the definition and assessment of axoglial dysjunc tion, which has been claimed to be a characteristic feature of both hu man and experimental diabetic neuropathy and which has been related ro paranodal swelling, III the present series of cases it was not possib le to confirm that axoglial dysjunction is a distinctive feature of di abetic polyneuropathy in fibres not undergoing active demyelination or wallerian-type degeneration, neither was excessive paranodal enlargem ent found.