While digging through my records for info my doc needs for my Mayo Clinic referral, I finally found my EMG results from 2004. I am, however, unclear as to what they mean. Here's what it said:

"diffuse peripheral polyneuropathy involving motor and sensory nerves affecting both the axon and the myelin"

Is this referring to more than one type of neuropathy? I tried reading some of the stickies, but my brain fog is not letting me make much sense of them tonight.

Can anyone translate? Maybe then I can go back to what ever stickies would best apply to me and see if I can get something to sink in.

Sorry to be so clueless.

fanfaire

Hi fanfaire, Polyneuropathy just means involving multiple nerves, usually starts in both feet, when many peripheral nerves throughout the body malfunction simultaneously,
http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec06/ch095/ch095h.html


this diagram shows what an axon and the myelin sheath looks like
http://psyweb.com/Physiological/Neur...multipolar.gif

--is pretty inspecific.

All it really says is that you have neuropathy in many nerves, suggesting a systemic process (as opposed to a "mononeuropathy"--a "one-nerve" problem that is localized), and that both your motor and sensory nerves are affected. It further indicates that there seems to be problems with both the nerve fiber itself--the axon--and the myelin sheathing that covers the axon and helps to conduct signals.

Is there any indication of where they found greter/lesser problems--which bodily parts--or of the relative strength of conduction (usually indicated comparatively)? There can be clues in the NCV/EMG as to type/cause of neuropathy, but that generally takes a detailed analysis.

Fanfare, haven't they found out why this is happening ? what other testing have they done so far ?

Fanfaire,

While looking at other possibilities, I hope you are covering the B12 angle.

rose

Thanks for the responses. That nerve diagram was particularly helpful. I get frustrated sometimes being an intelligent woman with cognitive dysfunction.

The areas of where abnormality was found (I'm just reading these from the summary table) were:
Right Ulnar Intrapalmar Anti Sensory
Right Sural Anti Sensory
Left Sural Anti Sensory
Right Peroneal Motor, Ankle and B Fib
Right Tibial Motor, Ankle
Left Peroneal Motor, Ankle
Left Tibial Motor

I did have thyroid and diabetic issues, but both conditions have been under excellent control for over two years. MRIs of the brain and elsewhere have been normal. I do not show any anti-bodies in the blood, just generalized inflammation.

I did have a spinal tap done long ago (1998), and it had some sort of abnormal protein level, but it was thought to be of no consequence. The neurologist who did the EMG was reluctant to consider Sjogren's as a cause (I had been diagnosed via lip biopsy the previous year by a rheumatologist), but she had no other ideas except to send me for a neuropsyche exam. I believe there is some sort of diffuse inflammation, probably of autoimmune origin, causing the neuropathy as acute episodes respond to high dose prednisone.

I am at a loss as to why it has begun to grow worse over the past few weeks when it had been stable for two years. I'm hoping the neurology department at the Mayo Clinic will have some ideas. I'm probably going to see them sometime in January.

Thanks again for your help.

fanfaire

Once I got a second 'second opinon' by a leading teaching hospital Neuro Dept head in my area who prescribed and gave all the 'orders' for tests, MRI's, blood work and spinal - I just went and DID them and it spurred my cautious second neuro [who'd be going on trak that way but VEERRRRYYY SLLLOOOOWWWWLLLY-the 'Slowskies' are fast by comparison!] to go for the diagnosis and subesquent treatment of IVIG... Gotta tell you I only had two visits with that neuro dept head...seeing my neuro nearer by for all the rest. Carrot and stick philosophy I guess. That a neuro higher up the food chain gave the 'back up' or primary diagnosis [either way I don't care? The insurance company was satisfied with the diagnostics and subsequent treatments.

If you go back to late Oct or november in this thread's postings...you will find many outlining Silverlady [Billye's] experiences of the Mayo...Others have put in their two cents as well....Can help you grasp what all can happen to you in what seems like rocket speed! All the testing, hurrying then waiting, then more testing...rescheduling..means for very long, exhausting and wearing days..but you mite, if truly lucky get some definitives or other directions to explore---so to speak. Just be persistent and keep lots of faith about going and doing and ideally getting answers! Some/any answers are all we ask for...that 'it's in the head' or 'live with it stuff' is patent blather in my opinion.

Good luck during the interim tho...truly 's - j