Periphere Neuropathie bei Diabetes (Teil 1)

A simple definition of diabetic distal symmetric sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSPN) for clinical practice is the presence of symptoms and/or signs of peripheral nerve dysfunction in people with diabetes after the exclusion of other causes. The prevalence of diabetic DSPN is approximately 30%, and while half of the affected patients may develop neuropathic pain, the other half may experience painless symptoms such as paresthesia or numbness, or remain asymptomatic. Furthermore, DSPN is a predictor of neuropathic foot ulcers and is associated with an increased risk of mortality. It is not a late but rather an early complication of diabetes, which already shows an increased prevalence in prediabetes; however, unfortunately, DSPN remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. To screen for and diagnose DSPN, a stepwise approach using an algorithm is recommended.