Application of quantitative sensory testing in diagnosis of hemodialysis patients with peripheral neuropathy

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the application of quantitative sensory testing(QST) in hemodialysis(HD) patients with peripheral neuropathy. Methods The values of the quantitative sensory testing and sensory conduction velocity at different locations of extremities in 40 cases of the HD patients and 40 normal persons were recorded. Results According to the control group, without symptoms group and with symptoms group, the thermal threshold(TT) and vibratory threshold (VT) at the four different locations of extremities were increased, thresholds of the later two groups were significantly higher than those of normal controls(P<0.05). Especially finger warm and vibratory thresholds, hypothenar heat pain thresholds, instep heat pain and vibratory thresholds, calf cold pain and vibratory thresholds were significantly difference between with symptoms group and normal control group (P<0.01). Finger cool and warm thresholds, instep heat pain thresholds, thresholds of calf warm, cold pain and heat pain , and vibratory thresholds at the four different locations of extremities were significantly difference between wthout symptoms group and with symptoms group(P<0.05). The SCV values of the median nerve, tibial nerve and lateral popliteal nerve were significantly difference between HD patients group and normal control(P<0.05). The total abnormal rate of QST was 65%, with symptoms group was 77.27%, total abnormal rate of SCV was 55.0%, with symptoms group was 68.18%.The total abnormal rate of QST were significantly higher than those of SCV (P<0.01). Conclusion QST is a sensitive method for diagnosis of uremic neuropathy. Key words: Quantitative sensory testing; Neural conduction; Uremic neuropathy