Peripheral neuropathy associated with Crohn's disease

Peripheral neuropathy in Crohn's disease has been described, to date, only with vitamin B12 deficiency or as due to oral metronidazole treatment. We report the association of Crohn's disease and peripheral neuropathy in two patients in whom neither of these pathogenetic factors of nerve damage apply. The CSF of both was normal. Patient 1 has had Crohn's disease for 12 years with predominantly sensory distal neuropathy and recurrent course related to worsening and improvement of the enteritis. Patient 2 had Crohn's disease some years before symptoms of recurrent sensory loss in the feet. Axonal degeneration was the mechanism of nerve damage in both patients.