Peripheral neuropathies are common among patients with chronic lung diseases. Forty three out of one hundred in-patient with diagnosis of pneumoconiosis admitted Sun General Hospital, Dae-Jeon were reviewed. Symptoms of peripheral neuropathies were tingling, hypesthesia, numbness, coldness, burning, and paresthesia on their lower extremities or upper extremities. Another 20 pneumoconiosis patients without clinical symptoms of peripheral neuropathy were subjects to control group. Complete medical history, physical examination, routine laboratory studies including liver chemistry of GOT, GPT, BUN, and creatinine, arterial blood gas analysis pulmonary function test, and electrodiagnostic study of motor and sensory nerves in lower extremities were performed on both groups during the period of November 1991 to July 1992. The purposes of this study are 1) to compare two groups in regard to electrodiagnostic findings 2) overview the related factors including the status of hypoxemia in development of peripheral neuropathy.

The results are as follows;

1) Clinical manifestations of symptoms are in following orders: tingling(30), hypesthesia(21), numbness(10), coldness(8), burning(7), paresthesia(1). Distribution of symptoms were of stocking-glove type, beginning of most distal part of extremity and spreading proximally. The most common level of involvement was foot.

2) Number of cases who showed abnormal electrodiagnostic result were in 22 out of 43 patient groups, while it was 6 out of 20 control group.

3) Mean distal latency of patient group was delayed and mean amplitude of patient group was reduced significantly(p<0.05) compare to control group in SNAPs of both superficial peroneal and sural nerves.

4) As to motor nerve study, there were no statistical difference in values of distal latency and amplitude of compound muscle action potentials and conduction velocities between two groups.

5) Status of hypoxemia, defined as PaO₂ of below 70 mmHg, closely related with high incidence of peripheral neuropathy and the duration of pneumoconiosis ad cigarette consumption expressed as pack years were also significantly, correlated(p<0.05) in development of peripheral neuropathy.