[Treatment's initiation in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculopathy (CIDP)]

Treatment's initiation in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculopathy (CIDP) remains a difficult medical decision. Only plasma exchanges, intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) and corticosteroids are proven effective treatments. Immunosuppressors are actually not first-line treatments in CIDP. Particular CIDP forms are associated with different response to treatments: pure motor CIDP should be treated by IVIg, and corticosteroids should only carefully be used in Lewis-Sumner syndrome. Otherwise, IVIg are first-line treatment in diabetic patients. Patients must be informed of side's effects and expected clinical effects. Early treatment was actually not proved to prevent axonal damages in CIDP patients, and waiting seems to be the best therapeutic option in poorly symptomatic patients. Recently, clinical guidelines were proposed to help clinician in this treatment choice, but there is no consensus about the best dose, duration or administration way to CIDP treatments. Further studies should be performed to clarify these points and to determine immunosuppressor agents place in treatment strategy.