Neurologic complications of acute and chronic renal disease

Abstract There is an increasing incidence and prevalence of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Western industrialized countries and currently is estimated at approximately 10% of adults aged over 20 years. Renal failure causes an excessively increased risk of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular complications. Moreover, renal failure leads to a number of the neurologic symptoms neurologists are often confronted with. This chapter gives an overview of possible neurologic complications of acute renal failure and CKD. Complications of the central nervous system (e.g., uremic encephalopathy, disequilibrium syndrome, and drug induced disorders) are reviewed. It has long been known that uremia leads to peripheral nerve injury. Frequent neurological diseases such as uremic polyneuropathy, autonomic neuropathy, and a range of mononeuropathies are discussed.