Main description:

Peripheral neuropathy is a common medical condition, the diagnosis of which is often protracted or delayed. It is not always easy to relate a neuropathy to a specific cause. Many people do not receive a full diagnosis, their neuropathy often being described as 'idiopathic' or 'cryptogenic'. It is said that in Europe, one of the most common causes is diabetes mellitus but there are also many other known potential causes. The difficulty of diagnosis, the limited number of treatment options, a perceived lack of knowledge of the subject -- except in specialised clinics, the number of which are limited -- all add to the difficulties which many neuropathy patients have to face. Another additional problem for many patients is that once having received a full, or even a partial diagnosis, they are then often discharged back to their primary healthcare team who, in many instances, know little about this condition and how it may impact upon their patients' lives. In order to help bridge this gap in medical knowledge and to give healthcare providers a better understanding of this often distressing condition, The Neuropathy Trust has commissioned a new book on this complex topic. Written by one of the world's leading experts on neuropathy, Professor Gerard Said, it is a 'must read' and also a handy reference book for doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, chiropodists/podiatrists and other health professionals. As well as covering the anatomy of the nervous system and the basic pathological processes that may affect the peripheral nerves, the book covers a whole range of neuropathic conditions. These include, for example, Guillain Barre syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, vasculitic neuropathies, infectious neuropathies, diabetic and other metabolic neuropathies, hereditary neuropathies and neuropathies in patients with cancer. Given the almost explosive increase in diabetes predicted over the coming years and the high incidence of HIV infections alone, not to mention all the other possible causes of peripheral neuropathy, no self respecting medical unit should be without a copy of this new book on their shelves.