Peripheral neuropathy

Definition

The term peripheral neuropathy defines a group of disorders in which nerves of the peripheral nervous system are damaged. Peripheral neuropathies can be further defined depending on the distribution of nerves affected. The most proximal nerves in the peripheral nervous system comprise the dorsal and ventral roots and damage to these nerves is termed radiculopathy. These nerves then undergo reorganisation in the brachial and lumbosacral plexuses and damage at the level of the plexus is termed plexopathy. Named peripheral nerves arise from the plexuses and when a single nerve is damaged this is referred to as a mononeuropathy. If multiple peripheral nerves are affected this is termed mononeuritis multiplex. The most distal nerves are small and unnamed. Disease of these small unnamed nerves is termed polyneuropathy. The terms polyneuropathy and peripheral neuropathy are often used interchangably but were we will make the distinction above. All polyneuropathies are peripheral neuropathies but not all peripheral neuropathies are polyneuropathies.