Diabetic thoracic polyradiculopathy.

Diabetic thoracic polyradiculopathy usually causes severe, chronic abdominal pain in patients with type 2 diabetes of variable duration. Other diabetic complications, weight loss and paretic abdominal wall protrusion are common. Sensory, motor and autonomic functions are affected. The diagnosis can be made from the characteristic history, physical examination findings, paraspinal electromyography, and other procedures. The differential diagnosis includes postherpetic neuralgia, abdominal wall pain, malignancy, and other spinal disorders. The pathology appears to be immune-mediated neurovasculitis resulting in ischemic injury. Traditional therapy is symptomatic, but recent pathological findings and clinical experience suggest that immunotherapy may be effective.