What is peripheral neuritis?

Many people don't know much about peripheral neuritis, which is a non-infectious inflammation. There are many causes, such as cranial nerve and nerve lesions, heavy metal poisoning, drug poisoning, etc., which may cause peripheral neuritis, and it has many clinical manifestations. The more common symptoms are sensory abnormalities and movement disorders, which often lead to autonomic nervous system dysfunction, etc.

Causes of peripheral neuritis

1. Poisoning such as heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, mercury, phosphorus, drugs such as furacillin, isoniazid, streptomycin, phenytoin sodium, carbamazepine, vincristine, and organic compounds such as organophosphorus pesticides. 2. Nutritional metabolic disorders such as vitamin B deficiency, diabetes, uremia, chronic gastrointestinal diseases, pregnancy, etc.

3. The infection is often accompanied or secondary to various acute and chronic infections, such as dysentery, tuberculosis, infectious hepatitis, typhoid fever, mumps, etc. A few cases may be caused by direct invasion of peripheral nerves by pathogens, such as leprosy neuritis. 4. Allergic reactions, such as neuritis after serum treatment or vaccination. 5. Others such as connective tissue diseases, hereditary diseases such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, hereditary ataxia peripheral neuritis, hereditary sensory radiculoneuropathy, etc. In addition, various cancers of the body can also cause polyneuritis, and may occur several months before the primary lesion shows clinical symptoms, so this should be a cause for concern. Except for inflammatory changes in peripheral nerves caused by a few causes (such as leprosy), pathological changes are mainly segmental demyelination and axonal degeneration of peripheral nerves, or both. A few cases may be accompanied by changes in the neuromuscular junction.

Clinical manifestations

The main manifestations are symmetrical sensory, motor and autonomic dysfunction in the distal limbs. 1. Symmetrical sensory paresthesias (pain, numbness, hypersensitivity, and hypoesthesia) in the distal extremities, often in the form of gloves or stockings. 2. Movement disorders include decreased muscle strength, low muscle tone, weakened or absent tendon reflexes, and in the late stage, muscle atrophy mainly in the distal limbs. 3. Autonomic dysfunction: The skin of the extremities may become cold, pale, cyanotic, or sweating disordered; the skin may become rough and thin.

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