[Clinical and pathogenetic aspects of symmetrical diabetic neuropathy].

A total of 2000 patients of different age, suffering from diabetes were studied, giving consideration to clinical, neurophysiological and diabetological parameters. The authors have identified syndromes of damage to somatic and visceral peripheral nerves in such patients. It is suggested that three main variants of damage to the peripheral nerves be differentiated: (1) subclinical disorders; (2) somatovisceral polyneuropathies in type I diabetes; (3) polyneuropathies in type II diabetes. Neural dysfunction in the first variant of the disease may be reversed following normalization of metabolic disturbances. Polyneuropathies in type I diabetes are largely related to axonal involvement whereas in type II diabetes they are characterized by a more complex pathogenesis and are largely due to damage to the myelin membranes of axons.