Peripheral neuropathy associated with hypereosinophilia
Guidetti, D.; Gemignani, F.; Terenziani, S.; Ragni, P.; Fornaciari, G.; Dall'Asta, D.; Marbini, A.
Acta Neurologica Belgica 91(1): 12-19
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0300-9009 PMID: 1851360 Document Number: 372019
Three patients with hypereosinophilia showed different forms of peripheral neuropathy: severe polyneuropathy of prevalently sensory type (case 1), mild sensory neuropathy (case 2), acute mononeuropathy of the median nerve with subclinical polyneuropathy (case 3). Hypereosinophilia was probably idiopathic, however the presence of atypical findings suggested transition to vasculitides or collagen disease. Sural nerve biopsy in cases 1 and 2 showed features of axonopathy in both, although of different severity, reflecting the variability of clinical involvement and, probably, heterogeneous pathogenic mechanisms. Peripheral nerve involvement associated with hypereosinophilia may be related to neurotoxicity of eosinophils, or to vascular damage.