Peripheral Neuropathy: Clinical Pearls for Making the Diagnosis

Peripheral neuropathy can be encountered by clinicians in a multitude of clinical settings: the patient with Guillain-Barré syndrome who presents to the ED, the patient with suspected carpal tunnel syndrome being referred to orthopedic surgery, the patient with diabetes seeing a primary care provider for new-onset paresthesias in the feet, or the patient following up with the oncology team about adverse medication reactions to chemotherapy. Given the number of systemic conditions with which peripheral neuropathy is associated, clinicians in all specialties need to understand the basic diagnostic principles of the condition.