Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether quantitative sensory test can be used as a screening test of peripheral polyneuropathy in patients with diabetes mellitus, and to evaluate the severity of peripheral polyneuropathy in patients with diabetes mellitus using quantitative sensory test.
Method: We performed nerve conduction study to right upper and left lower extremity of the patients. Quantitative sensory test was performed using TSA-2001 thermal sensory analyser on right thenar and left foot dorsum in both diabetic and control groups.
Results: 1) The warm sense and heat pain threshold were higher, the cold sense and cold pain threshold were lower in diabetic group than age-matched control group (p＜0.05). 2) The warm sense and heat pain threshold were higher, the cold sense and cold pain threshold were lower in diabetic group than young-aged control group (p＜0.05). 3) As nerve conduction study results were severe, the cold sense threshold in right thenar were decreased (p＜0.05).
Conclusion: Quantitative sensory study in patients with diabetes mellitus are sensitive to identify neuropathic change; thus, they would be used as the screening method of diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy.
