[Gentamicin neurotoxicity (polyneuropathy--encephalopathy)].

An investigation has been conducted into clinical signs and concomitant ultrastructural alterations in the peripheral nerves of 4 patients who developed polyneuropathy and, in part, encephalopathy following gentamicin therapy. The ultrastructural analysis of the nerve biopsy afforded evidence of an induced lysosomal abnormality comparable to the changes observed in gentamicin nephrotoxicity. As in nephrotoxicity, the neurotoxic effect seems to be reversible.