A consecutive sample of 76 chronic alcoholic patients was studied clinically, biochemically and electrophysiologically to assess clinical and/or subclinical signs of alcohol-related neuropathy as well as the most important and disputed risk factors for neuropathy such as age, parental history of alcoholism, nutritional status, alcoholic disease duration and total lifetime dose of ethanol (TLDE). The results show that alcohol-related neuropathy, especially when subclinical, seems to be frequent and mostly characterized by axonal degeneration of peripheral nerve fibres with earlier and more frequent involvement of sensory fibres and lower limbs. Moreover, positive family history of alcoholism, but above all alcoholic disease duration and TLDE, could be more important factors than malnutrition in determining neuropathy.
In some alcohol‐related pathologies of chronic alcoholism women are more vulnerable than men. A consecutive sample of 62 chronic alcoholics was studied, 18 females and 44 males, aged between 28 and 69 years to assess the incidence and distribution of peripheral neuropathy with regard to gender. All patients underwent clinical and neurological observations, laboratory tests, and electroneurography. Total lifetime dose of ethanol (TLDE) and other risk factors for neuropathy (disease duration, age, nutritional status) were calculated and correlated to sural nerve sensory‐evoked potential (SEP) amplitude. In 42 patients (67.7%), we observed the presence of clinical and/or infraclinical neuropathy, mostly axonal, in 29 males (65.9%) and 13 females (72.2%). In women, compared to men, TLDE and disease duration were significantly inversely correlated to sural nerve SEP amplitude, i.e in women, SEP amplitude is significantly reduced in relation to TLDE and disease duration increase. These data indicate a higher sensitivity of females towards the toxic effects of ethanol, other than malnutrition, on peripheral nerve fibres.
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