Nerve ultrasound in a case of chronic inflammatory demyelinating neuropathy

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is the most common acquired immune-mediated inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nervous system. The diagnosis is based mainly on the clinical presentation and electrophysiological detection of demyelination.

Several MRI studies have demonstrated hypertrophy and abnormal enhancement of spinal nerve roots or brachial plexus in CIDP, but there have been only anecdotal reports of similar sonographic findings.

This article reports the sonographic findings of a CIDP case and includes a review of the literature and previously reported cases.

This case report highlights the importance of sonography in the localization and recognition of focal nerve enlargements in patients with CIDP. This method could be a helpful tool in the diagnosis of conduction block in CIDP, especially in cases where a nerve segment cannot be explored easily with the inching technique. Systematic data are needed to confirm this observation.