Peripheral neuropathy: approach to numbness.

Peripheral neuropathy can cause numbness and many other distressing symptoms. Diagnosing the cause of neuropathy can prove to be a frustrating exercise for both the physician and the patient. After a few common diagnostic considerations are excluded, a physician can become discouraged by the long list of uncommon disorders that could produce peripheral neuropathy. The author presents an approach to diagnosing peripheral neuropathy and examines the limitations inherent in evaluating this problem.