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Uremic neuropathy: an overview of the current literature

SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION:

Peripheral neuropathy is a disorder that affects the cell body, axon or myelin of motor or peripheral sensory neurons and occurs in 60-100% of patients who are submitted to dialysis due to chronic kidney disease. Uremic neuropathy is attributed to the accumulation of organic waste, evident in patients with reduced glomerular filtration rate.

Objectives:

This review aims to make clinical characteristics of uremic neuropathy evident enabling early diagnosis and treatment.

Methods:

This is a literature review of articles published on PubMed over the last 10 years using “Uremic Neuropathy” as “Title/Abstract”.

Results:

A total of nine articles that met the inclusion criteria were included. UN is a distal symmetric sensorimotor polyneuropathy that occurs due to the accumulation of uremic toxins associated with an oxidative stress-related free radical activity. Hyperkalemia is thought to play an important role in its pathophysiology. Diagnosis depends on nerve conduction studies, and treatment includes dialysis or renal transplant.

Conclusion:

Clinical presentations of UN are broad and non-specific; nonetheless, it is important to detect early changes in order to avoid its progression. The earlier UN is diagnosed and treated, the more successful are the clinical outcomes.

KEYWORDS:
Neural conduction; Dialysis; Kidney Transplantation; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Uremia/complications

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