Mononeuritis multiplex is a peripheral neuropathy involving damage to two or more noncontiguous nerves. It can be caused by various systemic conditions like diabetes, vasculitis, infections, and rheumatological disorders. The document discusses the clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, management, and treatment of mononeuritis multiplex.
Prashant Shringi, Senior Resident in Neurology at Government Medical College Kota.
Disorders affecting PNS; includes mononeuropathy, polyneuropathy, symptoms associated with systemic issues.
Describes the nerve damage in mononeuritis multiplex, listing several systemic and infectious diseases linked. Highlights infections such as Lyme disease, leprosy, hepatitis viral infections associated with mononeuritis.Mentions chronic conditions like diabetes, cancer associations, including GVHD and tumor invasion.
Lists hematological conditions, miscellaneous causes like amphetamine angiitis, and genetic disorders.
Discusses recurrence rates and challenges in diagnosing incidence due to varying etiologies.
Age at onset depends on associated conditions; full recovery is possible if treatment is timely.
Enumerates complications including injuries, deformity, organ dysfunction, and effects on self-esteem.
Importance of medical history and symptom characterizations in diagnosing mononeuritis multiplex.
Describes specific symptoms including pain, numbness, and findings in nerve dysfunction.
Lists laboratory tests critical for diagnosis, including CBC, HIV tests, and autoimmune profiles.
Details about electrodiagnostic studies like NCS and their significance in evaluating nerve disruptions.
Treatment includes medications like antidepressants, physical therapy, and education for symptom recognition.
Final remarks thanking the audience and citing crucial reference sources for further reading.
Generalized termincluding disorders of any
cause affecting PNS
May involve sensory nerves, motor nerves, or
both or autonomic nerves
May affect one nerve (mononeuropathy),
several nerves together (polyneuropathy) or
several nerves not contiguous
(Mononeuropathy multiplex)
3.
Mononeuritis multiplexis a painful,
asymmetrical, asynchronous sensory and
motor peripheral neuropathy involving
simultaneous or sequential damage to two or
more noncontiguous peripheral nerves .
: Bradely’s neurology in clinical practice 7th edition
4.
As thecondition worsens, it becomes less
multifocal and more symmetrical.
Mononeuropathy multiplex syndromes can be
distributed bilaterally, distally, and proximally
throughout the body.
5.
Mononeuritis multiplexactually is a group of
disorders, not a true, distinct disease entity.
Typically, the condition is associated with
(but not limited to) systemic disorders such
as the following
Leprosy
Diabetes mellitus
Vasculitis
6.
The damageto the nerves involves
destruction of the axon and therefore
interferes with nerve conduction.
7.
Common causesof damage include a lack of
oxygen from decreased blood flow or
inflammation of blood vessels causing
destruction of the vessel wall and occlusion
of the vessel lumen of small epineurial
arteries.
8.
Mononeuritis multiplexcan be associated
with many different conditions.
Infections
Rheumatological disorders
Chronic conditions
Malingnancy
Hematological conditions
9.
Mononeuritis multiplexcan be associated
with the following infections:
Lyme disease
Leprosy
Acute viral hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Acute parvovirus B-19 infection
Herpes simplex virus infection
AIDS and HIV infection
10.
Mononeuritis multiplexcan be associated
with the following rheumatological disorders:
Wegener granulomatosis
Henoch-Schönlein syndrome
Sjögren syndrome
Behçet’s disease
Temporal (giant cell) arteritis
Mononeuritis multiplexcan be associated
with the following chronic conditions:
Diabetes mellitus
Amyloidosis
Neurosarcoidosis
Celiac disease
13.
Mononeuritis multiplexcan be associated
with the following cancer-related conditions:
Chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD)
Direct tumor invasion with intraneural spread
– Lymphoma, B-cell leukemia, carcinoid
tumor
Paraneoplastic – Small cell lung cancer
14.
Mononeuritis multiplexcan be associated
with the following hematologic conditions:
Churg-Strauss syndrome
Hypereosinophilia
Cryoglobulinemia
Hypereosinophilia
Atopy-related peripheral neuritis
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
15.
Mononeuritis multiplexcan be associated
with the following miscellaneous conditions:
Amphetamine angiitis
Gasoline sniffing
In addition, mononeuritis multiplex can be
associated with the genetic disorder Tangier
disease and with multiple compression
neuropathies.
16.
Persons withone occurrence of mononeuritis
multiplex are more prone to a recurrence.
Mononeuritis multiplex can become
progressively worse over time. Approximately
33% of cases originate from unidentifiable
causes.
17.
The actualincidence of mononeuritis
multiplex is not known due to the widely
varied etiologies that may lead to this
disorder.
The primary disease process often is so
dominant that the symptoms of mononeuritis
multiplex simply are attributed to the initial
disease and remain undiagnosed.
18.
The ageof onset for mononeuritis multiplex
depends on the patient's age at occurrence of
the associated disease process.
For unknown reasons, however, this condition
does tend to occur in older patients with
relatively mild or unrecognized diabetes.
19.
If thecause of mononeuritis multiplex is
identified early and is successfully treated,
full recovery is possible, although it may take
months to years. The same syndrome has a
tendency to recur after an interval of months
or years.
The extent of disability varies, ranging from
no disability to partial or complete loss of
function and movement.
20.
Complications inmononeuritis multiplex include
the following:
Recurrent or unnoticed injury to any part of the
body
Deformity
Atrophy
Disturbances of organ functions that are
autonomically controlled (eg, cardiac, gastric,
bladder)
Decreased self-esteem and decreased social
interaction due to an inability to participate in
activities because of pain or incoordination
Relationship problems associated with impotence
21.
The suspectedcause of mononeuritis
multiplex, as suggested by the patient’s
history, symptoms, and pattern of symptom
development, helps to determine which tests
to perform.
22.
A detailedand complete medical history is
vitally important in determining the possible
underlying cause of mononeuritis multiplex.
The pain usually is characterized as deep and
aching, with superimposed lancinating jabs
that are most severe at night.
23.
All patientsshould be questioned regarding -
• HIV risk factors
• possibility of a tick bite (Lyme disease)
• Constitutional symptoms (malignancy) like
weight loss, malaise, anorexia.
24.
Individuals withDiabetes typically present
with acute onset of severe, unilateral thigh
pain that is followed rapidly by weakness and
atrophy of the anterior thigh muscles and
loss of the ankle reflex.
25.
Other possible symptomsthat may be reported
by the patient include the following:
Numbness
Tingling
Abnormal sensation
Burning pain - Dysesthesia
Difficulty moving a body part - Paralysis
Lack of controlled movement of a body part
26.
Loss ofsensation and movement may be
associated with dysfunction of specific
nerves.
Examination reveals preservation of reflexes
and good strength except in regions that
have been more profoundly affected.
27.
Some commonfindings of mononeuritis
multiplex are as follows
Sciatic nerve dysfunction
Femoral nerve dysfunction
Common peroneal nerve dysfunction
Axillary nerve dysfunction
Radial nerve dysfunction
28.
Median nervedysfunction
Ulnar nerve dysfunction
Peroneal nerve palsy
Autonomic dysfunction - Dysfunction in the
part of the nervous system that controls
involuntary bodily functions, such as the
glands, blood vessels, and heart.
29.
Laboratory testsinclude the following:
Complete blood count (CBC) with a
differential
Fasting blood glucose levels
Borrelia burgdorferi antibody titer - If Lyme
disease is suspected
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) blood
tests - If HIV infection is suspected
30.
Hepatitis screen- If hepatitis is suspected as
a causative agent
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-
reactive protein level - If a systemic
inflammatory process is suspected.
Herpes viridae serology
Parvovirus B-19 antibodies
31.
Autoimmune profile
Extensive vasculitic and rheumatological
workup include
ANA, RF, Anti-dsDNA, Anti-Ro, Anti-La,
ANCA screen, cryoglobulins
Serum protein electrophoresis
32.
In somecases, a nerve biopsy may be
appropriate to determine the underlying
cause of mononeuritis multiplex (usually a
combination of perivascular mononuclear
inflammatory cells and multifocal axonal loss
and axonal loss with multinucleated
inflammatory cells) .
33.
A patternof necrotizing vasculitis of
epineural arteries may be observed in HIV-
related mononeuritis.
36.
Some studieshave indicated that combining a
nerve biopsy with a muscle biopsy can help
clinicians to better diagnose peripheral nerve
vasculitis, because it appears that in many
cases, individuals with peripheral nerve
vasculitis also have vasculitis in striated
muscle.
37.
Electrodiagnostic studiesare used only in
conjunction with an accurate and complete
history and physical examination.
The lesion or lesions are distal to the motor
and sensory cell bodies and result in either
axonal disruption/degeneration or abnormal
axonal conduction.
38.
Sensory nerveconduction studies (NCSs)
show abnormalities of decreased amplitude in
the presence of axonal disruption.
H-reflex latencies may be prolonged or
absent in mononeuritis multiplex. However,
the H-reflex is typically performed only in the
tibial nerves, limiting its usefulness in
investigating mononeuritis multiplex.
39.
Abnormalities aresimilar to those seen in
axonal polyneuropathies, with the exception
of the anatomic distribution. A reduction in
the motor action potential amplitudes and
minimal alterations in nerve conduction
velocity will be seen.
40.
Findings onthe needle electrode examination
can vary, depending on the severity and time
course of the disorder..
41.
Findings aretypically neuropathic and may
include abnormal spontaneous membrane
activity (positive sharp waves and fibrillation
potentials) and, during and after
reinnervation, increases in motor unit action
potential (MUAP) duration, amplitude, and
polyphasic potentials.
First linedrugs
Lidoderm 5% patch
Tricyclic antidepressants
Gabapentin
Pregabalin p.o.
Duloxetine
Second line
Carbamazepine
Phenytoin
Venlafaxine
Tramadol
46.
Physical Therapy
◦Gait and balance training
Assistive devices
Safe environment
Footwear at all times
Foot hygiene
47.
If thecausative factor for a patient's
mononeuritis multiplex is discovered,
education is directed toward avoidance of the
initiating cause or pathogen. Additionally,
recognition of early symptomology should be
encouraged so that early treatment can be
sought.
Bradely’s neurologyin clinical practice 7th
edition
An Approach to the Evaluation of Peripheral
Neuropathies;Mark B. Bromberg; SEMINARS IN
NEUROLOGY/VOLUME 30, NUMBER 4 2010
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