[Polyneuropathy in vitamin B 12 and folic acid deficiency. Clinical and histopathological study with electron-microscopy analysis of the sural nerve]

Abstract

One case each of pernicious anemia and folic acid deficiency with chronic malabsorption with disease of the cord and histologically demonstrated concomitant disease of the peripheral nerve system in the sense of a polyneuropathy are described. The histological findings of nerve obtained by biopsy show, in both cases, the loss of individual nerve fibers as an expression of a chronic axonal degeneration. The pathogenetic basis to be considered in these cases is presented.