EVALUATION OF A MOTOR AND SENSORY DISTURBANCE QUESTIONNAIRE FOR PATIENTS WITH EOSINOPHILIC GRANULOMATOSIS WITH POLYANGIITIS

Abstract

It is difficult to evaluate neurological signs of multiple mononeuritis (MM) in patients with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). We created a new questionnaire about motor and sensory disturbances in EGPA and investigated whether the questionnaire would be a useful tool in the management of MM in EGPA patients. We classified 40 EGPA patients attending Hiratsuka City Hospital into two groups, namely 30 who were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and 10 who achieved remission by conventional treatment without IVIG. We created a questionnaire for the evaluation of motor and sensory disturbance in EGPA (ANCA related.com). In patients who received IVIG, we evaluated motor and sensory disturbance scores at disease onset, before IVIG, 1 week and 1 month after the end of IVIG. In patients treated without IVIG, we evaluated these scores at disease onset and at the time of the latest examination. The total motor disturbance score at disease onset was significantly lower in EGPA patients who received IVIG than in those who did not receive it. Disease duration was significantly inversely correlated with the change in the sensory disturbance ratio, but not with the motor disturbance ratio. The motor disturbance ratio was significantly correlated with the manual muscle test improvement ratio. In patients who received IVIG, the total motor disturbance score increased significantly, and the total sensory disturbance score decreased significantly, 1 month after IVIG. By using the questionnaire we could evaluate changes in motor and sensory disturbance after IVIG treatment in patients with EGPA. The questionnaire should be useful in the management of MM in EGPA patients.