A community-based epidemiological study of peripheral neuropathies in Assiut, Egypt

Background: There is very little published information about the prevalence, patterns, and predictors of peripheral neuropathies. The current study is a community-based survey was conducted in the Assiut Governorate to estimate their prevalence and clinical profile. Material and methods: A door-to-door study was carried out on 42 223 persons from rural and urban communities in the Assiut Governorate, Egypt. There were 13 288 (31.5%) subjects from the urban and 28 935 (68.5%) from the rural area. All subjects filled in a questionnaire designed specifically for diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy. Positive cases were then given a complete medical and neurological examination, routine laboratory tests, neurophysiology, and neuroimaging (magnetic resonance). Results: The crude prevalence rate (CPR) of peripheral neuropathy was 3181/100 000 inhabitants. There was a significantly higher prevalence in the rural compared with the urban population (3795 versus 1844/ 100 000) and in females than males (4473 versus 1943/100 000; P,0.001 for both). The most common type reported was entrapment neuropathy (736 cases with CPR of 1743/100 000), particularly carpal tunnel syndrome (1686/100 000). Diabetic neuropathy was the most common non-compressive neuropathy with a CPR of 649/100 000. Type II diabetes was recorded in 241 patients with a CPR of 571/100 000. Compressive radiculopathy had a crude prevalence of 358/100 000; traumatic and iatrogenic radiculopathy had a prevalence rate of 149/100 000. Less common conditions were: uremic neuropathy (21/ 100 000) hepatic neuropathy (14/100 000), Bell's palsy (28/100 000), Guillian-Barre' syndrome (12/ 100 000), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (12/100 000), hereditary sensory motor neuropathy (12/100 000), and idiopathic neuropathy (92/100 000). Conclusion: The overall prevalence of peripheral neuropathies was high in comparison to other studies. Entrapment neuropathy, diabetic neuropathy, and spondylotic radiculopathy were the most common. Overall, the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy was higher in the rural than in the urban population. © W. S. Maney & Son Ltd 2012.