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Plasma exchange in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy
P D Donofrio1, R Tandan, J W Albers
1Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Ml 48109-0010, USA.
Muscle & Nerve
|May 1, 1985
Summary
Plasma exchange may improve symptoms in some patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP). This study found a temporal link between plasma exchange and clinical improvement in progressive CIDP cases.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Immunology
Background:
- Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is a progressive neurological disorder.
- Treatment options for CIDP, especially in prednisone-unresponsive cases, require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of plasma exchange in patients with progressive CIDP.
- To identify predictors of response to plasma exchange in CIDP.
Main Methods:
- Eleven consecutive patients with progressive CIDP underwent plasma exchange.
- Clinical status was monitored using a functional status index.
- Electrodiagnostic studies assessed demyelination and axonal degeneration.
Main Results:
- Seven out of eleven patients showed clinical improvement following plasma exchange.
- Responders exhibited significantly prolonged F-response and motor distal latencies compared to non-responders.
- No significant differences were found in antecedent illness, disease duration, or initial severity between responders and non-responders.
Conclusions:
- Plasma exchange demonstrates a potential therapeutic benefit for some patients with progressive CIDP.
- Prolonged electrodiagnostic measures may indicate a subset of patients likely to respond to plasma exchange.