Evaluation of the presence of neuropathy and pruritus in predialysis patients

Abstract

Objective: Neuropathy is seen in approximately 70% of patients in the predialysis stage; it is more common in individuals with pruritus, which may be an indicator of neuropathy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of neuropathy and pruritus in the predialysis stage. Methods: The study included 60 patients in the predialysis stage and 30 volunteer controls. Neuropathic symptoms and severity and frequency of itching were recorded. The polyneuropathy (PNP) protocol and sympathetic skin responses (SSRs) were examined. Results: Electromyographic PNP was detected in 28.3% of the patients and pruritus in 36.7%. There was no significant difference in terms of neuropathy and SSR between the groups with and without pruritus (P > 0.05). Body mass index (BMI,P 0.05), whereas the amplitude and velocity of the median nerve, amplitude and velocity of the tibial nerve, amplitude of the sural nerve, and velocity of the peroneal nerve motor were found to be higher in the control group than in the two groups in the predialysis stage. Furthermore, a prolongation of the distal latency median motor nerve was found in two groups in the predialysis stage compared with the control group (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the presence of neuropathic symptoms and pruritus (P > 0.05). Conclusion: More than one-third (36.7%) of the patients had pruritus. Increased BMI and uric acid levels showed that it could be important to evaluate the patients in the predialysis stage.