Mononeuropathy

The term mononeuropathy refers to an isolated lesion of a peripheral nerve.

The most frequent cause is its entrapment or compression in an area where it is particularly vulnerable (e.g. ulnar nerve in the elbow, median nerve in the carpal tunnel, external popliteal sciatic nerve in the fibular head).

Sometimes mononeuropathies are part of other diseases (e.g. diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis), but in these cases other nerves are usually affected simultaneously or sequentially (mononeuritis multiplex, polyneuropathy).