Profile of Type 2 Diabetic Patients Referred to Electroneurography Laboratory - Original Article

Abstract
Objective: In this study, we aimed to assess the presence of minor complications in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) referred to electroneurography (ENG) laboratory for evaluation of neuropathy. In addition, the relationship between duration of disease, electrophysiologic findings, neurological examination findings, plasma glycated hemoglobin A1C levels, glucose levels and microvascular complications were examined.
Materials and Methods: One hundred seventy patients with type 2 diabetes were included. Age, gender, duration of disease, results of ophthalmological examinations, neuropathic complaints, electrophysiological examination results, neurological examination findings and laboratory examination results including blood glucose and A1C levels, presence of albuminuria were  recorded retrospectively.
Results: Abnormal ENG findings were found in one hundred forty patients (82.4%). In all patients, the rate of retinopathy was 34.1% and the rate of albuminuria was 19.4%. The rate of polyneuropathy (PNP( was 78.2% in patients with abnormal neurologic examination. Neuropathic complaints and PNP were found to be related with the presence of retinopathy. The rate of retinopathy was higher in patients with albuminuria. Significant relationship was found between disease duration and retinopathy, PNP and neuropathic complaints.
Conclusions: This study emphasizes that detailed history, neurological and ophthalmological examinations are easy, cost-effective and reliable examinations in follow-up of type 2 diabetics. ENG examination, which needs time and money, should be done in asymptomatic cases or for differential diagnosis of neuropathies with clues not related with diabetic neuropathy.