Diabetic femoral neuropathy is a syndrome manifested by unilateral or bilateral, often asymmetric muscle weakness and atrophy proximally in the lower limbs. It often accompanied by pain in the thigh and sometimes also in the lumbar and the perineal region. The purpose of this study was to find out the incidence of diabetic femoral neuropathy and to evaluate the factors that influence diabetic femoral neuropathy using peripheral nerve conduction study, and clinical and laboratory findings. Our study was based on 44 cases of diabetes mellitus who were admitted to Wonju Christian Hospital and received electrodiagnostic study.
The summary of results were as follows:
1) Of the 44 cases of diabetes mellitus, 33 (75%) cases were diagnosed as diabetic neuropathy, and in the group of diabetic neuropathy, 18 (54.5%) cases were concomitant with diabetic femoral neuropathy. There was no cases of diabetic femoral neuropathy alone.
2) Major clinical findings of diabetic femoral neuropathy were sensory change in the anterior thigh, atrophy and weakness of the quadriceps muscle, diminished patellar tendon reflex.
3) The risk for diabetic femoral neuropathy significantly increased as the duration of diabetes and the levels of PC 2hr glucose (p<0.01).
4) In the group of diabetic femoral neuropathy, the axonopathy was more prominant than the demyelination.
According to these results, we concluded that the incidence of diabetic femoral neuropathy in diabetic neuropathy was high. From this study it is recommended that femoral nerve conduction study be included with electrodiagnostic study of diabetic neuropathy, especially if the patient has a history of long duration of diabetes mellitus or increased level of PC2hr glucose.
