HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hughes, R. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Hughes, R.

Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy

Department of Neuroimmunology, Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’ School of Medicine, Guy’s Hospital, London SE1 1UL, UK; Email: richard. a.hughes{at}kcl.ac.uk

EXTRACT

INTRODUCTION

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is uncommon but important. It can be disabling but is usually treatable, and probably underdiagnosed. The only population-based studies suggest a prevalence of one or two per 100 000 but these are probably underestimates because of lack of referral or recognition of cases (Lunn et al. 1999; McLeod et al. 1999). In our population-based study of 46 patients in the south-east of England, 13% required an aid to walk and 54% were receiving medical treatment on the prevalence date (Lunn et al. 1999). The natural history of untreated disease is not known but two old large series included 7–35% of patients who eventually became bedridden or died from their disease (Dyck et al. 1975; Prineas & McLeod 1976). In a more recent large series, improvement with treatment was only partial, relapses were frequent, and 60% of patients were left with disability or continued ...

[PDF of this article]