• Jonas Lindh, Martin Tondel, Bodil Persson, and Magnus Vrethem.
• Section of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, Ryhov County Hospital, Jönköping, Sweden. jonas.lindh@lj.se
• Disabil Rehabil. 2011 Jan 1;33(7):617-23.

PurposeTo evaluate the quality of life (QOL) in patients with cryptogenic polyneuropathy.MethodTwo validated instruments (SF-36 and EQ-5D) were sent to 86 patients with a 72% response rate (44 men, 18 women). As reference, 2721 individuals (1292 men, 1429 women; 59% response rate) from the general population responded to the same QOL instruments.ResultsCompared to the general population, QOL was significantly more affected in patients with polyneuropathy concerning motor functions, with 42% of the patients reporting problems with walking, 7% having difficulties with washing and dressing, and 31% having problems with usual activities (work, study, household work, and family or leisure activities). The EQ-5D results showed that 85% of the patients were suffering from pain compared to 56% of the general population. Mental health was preserved among patients with polyneuropathy. Mobility was declining with increasing age in patients, but was not affected by disease duration.ConclusionsOur study showed that patients with cryptogenic polyneuropathy have a lower QOL compared to the general population, although mental health scores did not differ between the groups. This information may be helpful when explaining the disease and its impact on newly diagnosed patients.© 2011 Informa UK, Ltd.

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