Paresthesia
From Anvita Health Wiki
Contents |
More Specific Terms
Introduction
- A sensation of burning, pricking, vibrating, buzzing, crawling, tingling, or tickling. Transient paresthesis may be induced by resting an extremity on the sciatic, peroneal or ulnar nerve, commonly recognized as an extremity 'falling asleep'. Other paresthesias arise without an apparent stimulus.
Etiology
- entrapment of peripheral nerve
- ectopic foci in the central or peripheral nervous system
- perioral paresthesias
- hyperkalemia
- hyperventilation (also hands)
- vertebrobasilar artery territory TIA
- pharmaceutical agents
Clinical-manifestations
-
- Phalen's sign: carpal tunnel syndrome
- sensory abnormalities of nerve entrapment syndromes
- sensory, motor & reflex changes of radiculopathies
- sensory abnormalities of diabetic polyneuropathy
- abnormalities associated with vitamin B12 deficiency
- signs & symptoms multiple sclerosis
- findings associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome
- perioral paresthesias
Laboratory
- glycated hemoglobin & hemoglobin A1c
- serum vitamin B12 & Schilling test
- cerebrospinal fluid ( CSF) analysis
- rising protein level in Guillain-Barre syndrome
- oligoclonal banding in multiple sclerosis
- serum calcium, serum albumin
- TSH, free T4
- tests for restless legs syndrome
Diagnostic-procedures
Radiology
Differential-diagnosis
-
- cervical: C5, C6 or C7
- lumbosacral: L5 or S1
- usually due to degenerative disc disease
- restless legs syndrome
- diabetic polyneuropathy
- vitamin B12 deficiency
- multiple sclerosis
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- pharmacologic agents
- isoniazid; b) vincristine; c) diuretics; d) NSAIDs
- hypocalcemia
- hypothyroidism
- carcinomatous neuropathy
- leprosy
- polycythemia vera
- alcoholism
- connective tissue disorder
- peripheral nerve tumors
- rabies
- focal sensory seizures
Management
- see specific etiology
More General Terms
Additional Terms
- entrapment neuropathy; nerve entrapment syndrome; pinched nerve
- Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS)
- hypocalcemia
- multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Phalen's sign
- radiculopathy
- restless legs syndrome (RLS)
- Tinel's sign
- vitamin B12; cobalamin
References
- Saunders Manual of Medical Practice, Rakel (ed), WB Saunders, Philadelphia, 1996, pg 1016-18
- NINDS Paresthesia Information Page [1]
