Wartenberg's migrant sensory neuritis

We describe a patient with the sudden onset of a painful, purely sensory, m ononeuritis multiplex. Investigations showed no evidence for any underlying systemic condition. A nerve biopsy showed fascicular wallerian degeneratio n with perineurial thickening, inflammatory cells, and immunoglobulin G (Ig G) deposition. His painful sensory deficits persisted, with no improvement after treatment with prednisone. The clinical characteristics in this case were very similar to those originally described by Wartenberg, and subseque ntly by other investigators. The investigations in our case strongly sugges t that there may be an underlying immune pathogenesis for cases of Wartenbe rg's migrant sensory neuritis. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.