Peripheral nervous system complications in Vasculitis and Autoimmune Connective Tissue Diseases

Başcı N., Gündüz A., Uzun Adatepe N.

11th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology, Helsinki, Finlandiya, 21 - 24 Haziran 2025, ss.102, (Özet Bildiri)

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
  • Basıldığı Şehir: Helsinki
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Finlandiya
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.102
  • İstanbul Üniversitesi-Cerrahpaşa Adresli: Evet

Özet

Objective: In this study, we aimed to determine the frequency, and clinical, and immunologic signatures of peripheral nervous system disorders in different rheumatological diseases.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. We retrieved all medical records in the electrophysiology laboratory to identify patients above 18 years of age and older between January 2022 and April 2024 and determined the patients with connective tissue disease. A comprehensive review of all clinical findings and electrodiagnostic investigations was performed.

Results: We determined 242 patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 52.5±13.5 years. There were 50 (20.7%) men. The most frequent diseases were rheumatoid arthritis (n=68, 28.1%), systemic lupus erythematosus (n=30, 12.4%), familial Mediterranean fever (n=24, 9.9%), Behçet’s syndrome (n=24, 9.9%) Sjögren’s disease (n=22, 9.1%) ankylosing spondylitis (n=20, 8.3%), Wegener’s granulomatosis (n=10, 4.1%). Based on clinical categorization, the most frequent neurophysiological findings were carpal tunnel syndrome (n=23, 33.8%) and polyneuropathy (n=24, 35.2%) in rheumatoid arthritis; myopathy (n=7, 23.3%) in systemic lupus erythematosus; myopathy (n=8, 33.3%) in Familial Mediterranean fever. Nerve conduction studies (NCSs) were mostly normal in Behçet’s syndrome.

Conclusion: It is clear that peripheral nervous system involvement is common. The common occurrence of myopathy in Familial Mediterranean fever may be related to medications used such as colchicine. Despite being a retrospective study among symptomatic patients, there were no abnormal NCSs in almost half of the patients, suggesting small fiber involvement, which remains underdiagnosed in connective tissue disorders since it requires specific testing.