Polyneuropathies in vasculitis and connective tissue diseases Clinical manifestations and diagnostic recommendations

Vasculitic neuropathies result from inflammation of the vasa nervorum followed by ischemia and destruction of the peripheral nerve. The inflammation can be systemic or localized, i.e. non-systemic. Systemic vasculitis can be divided into primary and secondary forms. The latter is associated with, e.g. connective tissue diseases, infections, cancer or induced by certain drugs. Around two thirds of patients with systemic vasculitis develop vasculitic neuropathy presenting as characteristic painful, multifocal mononeuropathy of acute onset. The group of non-systemic neuropathies has grown in recent years with the addition of diabetic and non-diabetic lumbosacral radiculoplexus neuropathies, among others. Within the group of connective tissue diseases, other non-vasculitic neuropathies can occur as nerve-entrapment syndromes and sensory ataxic neuropathy. The aim of this article is to present a condensed overview of neuropathies associated with vasculitis and connective tissue diseases and to communicate characteristic clinical symptoms supporting rapid diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.