Peripheral Neuropathy

<p ><b>Peripheral neuropathy</b>&nbsp;is damage to&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerve" title="Nerve" >nerves</a>&nbsp;of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripheral_nervous_system" title="Peripheral nervous system" >peripheral nervous system</a>, which may be caused either by diseases of or trauma to the&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerve" title="Nerve" >nerve</a>&nbsp;or the&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adverse_effect(medicine)" title="Adverse effect (medicine)" class="mw-redirect" >side-effects</a>&nbsp;of systemic illness.<sup id="cite_ref-urlPeripheral_Neuropathy_Fact_Sheet:National_Institute_of_Neurological_Disorders_and_Stroke.28NINDS.29_0-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripheral_neuropathy#cite_note-urlPeripheral_Neuropathy_Fact_Sheet:National_Institute_of_Neurological_Disorders_and_Stroke_.28NINDS.29-0" >[1]</a></sup></p>

<p>

The four cardinal patterns of peripheral&nbsp;

neuropathy are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyneuropathy" title="Polyneuropathy" >polyneuropathy</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mononeuropathy" title="Mononeuropathy" class="mw-redirect" >mononeuropathy</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mononeuritis_multiplex" title="Mononeuritis multiplex" class="mw-redirect" >mononeuritis multiplex</a>and&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomic_neuropathy" title="Autonomic neuropathy" class="mw-redirect" >autonomic neuropathy</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>

The most common form is (symmetrical) peripheral polyneuropathy, which mainly affects the&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot" title="Foot" >feet</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_leg" title="Human leg" >legs</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>

The form of neuropathy may be further broken down by cause, or the size of predominant fiber involvement, i.e., large fiber or&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_fiber_peripheral_neuropathy" title="Small fiber peripheral neuropathy" >small fiber peripheral neuropathy</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>

Frequently the cause of a neuropathy cannot be identified and it is designated as being&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiopathic" title="Idiopathic" >idiopathic</a>.</p>