Sensory neuronopathy

Sensory neuronopathy, also known as sensory ganglionopathy, is a kind of peripheral neuropathy that mainly causes sensory symptoms such as altered sensation, pain or ataxia, because the nerve cell bodies in the dorsal root ganglion are destroyed. Causes are grouped as paraneoplastic, immune mediated, infectious, inherited or degenerative, or due to toxin exposure, and about half of cases are idiopathic. Unlike the common length-dependent polyneuropathies, symptoms are multifocal, asymmetric and not length-dependent, and often involve all four limbs at onset. Early ataxia is prominent, the trigeminal ganglion may be involved causing facial numbness, and motor nerves are usually spared. Treatment targets any underlying cancer or infection, and immunomodulatory therapies have limited effect.