Analysis of disorders of the peripheral nervous system in vibration disease

Abstract

Introduction. In occupational pathology, the study of functional disorders of the peripheral nervous system in various occupational diseases has been used for many years. The study of structural changes of nerves is described only in isolated publications. At the same time, a comprehensive structural and functional approach allows expanding the possibilities of differential diagnosis of vibration neuropathies. The aim of the study was to investigate structural and functional disorders of the peripheral nervous system in miners with vibration disease due to the exposure of local vibration. Materials and methods. One hundred thirty-six miners with a proven diagnosis of vibration disease due to the exposure of local vibration and 60 people who had never worked under the conditions of exposure to industrial vibration were examined. All respondents underwent a comprehensive electroneuromyographic and ultrasound investigation of the peripheral nerves of the upper extremities. Results. The study revealed both functional disorders of peripheral nerves in the form of predominantly distal polyneuropathy of the upper extremities and structural changes in the form of local nerve thickening at the level of anatomical tunnels. At the same time, the correlation between the changed functional and structural indices was determined. In 47.1% of the miners, vibration polyneuropathies was found to be complicated by nerve compression. Limitations. The investigation is limited to the study of electrophysiological and sonographic characteristics of the peripheral nervous system in 136 patients with vibration disease due to local vibration exposure. Conclusion. Complex electroneuromyographic and ultrasound investigation of the nerves of the upper extremities in the patients with vibration disease allows identifying compression neuropathies in the form of a combination of local nerve thickening and impaired conduction at the tunnel level, and also provides new opportunities for differential diagnosis of vibration polyneuropathies.