PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND TREATMENT OF DIABETIC NEUROPATHY

The scope of the present review is to describe epidemiology, classific ation, symptomatology and treatment of diabetic peripheral somatic neu ropathy and autonomic neuropathy. Special attention is paid to the use of local anaesthetic agents in painful diabetic neuropathy. Denervati on hypersensitivity is a characteristic of autonomic neuropathy in dia betic patients. The pathophysiology behind this phenomenon is elucidat ed in this review and most recent studies related to diabetic encephal opathy are reviewed. References for this review were acquired via a Me dLine and Medlars literature search. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.