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Treatment of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy with intravenous immunoglobulin
Author(s) -
Cornblath David R.,
Chaudhry Vinay,
Griffin John W.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410300119
Subject(s) - chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy , medicine , intravenous immunoglobulin therapy , prednisone , azathioprine , common variable immunodeficiency , polyradiculoneuropathy , antibody , immunology , multifocal motor neuropathy , polyneuropathy , guillain barre syndrome , gastroenterology , disease , mismatch negativity , electroencephalography , psychiatry
Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy is an immune‐mediated demyelinating peripheral neuropathy usually treated with immunosuppressants. We reviewed our experience treating 15 patients (9 men, 6 women) with intravenous immunoglobulin. Six patients were on other therapies at the time of intravenous immunoglobulin infusions (4, prednisone; 2, prednisone and azathioprine). The dose of intravenous immunoglobulin was either 0.3 or 0.4 gm/kg/day for 4 to 5 days. Transient fever occurred in 1 patient. Subjective improvement in sensory symptoms was reported by almost all patients. Objective improvements in strength or functional tasks occurred in only 3 patients, a man with human immunodeficiency virus infection, a 14‐year‐old girl, and a woman with an immunoglobulin G kappa paraprotein. Our results suggest that individual patients may respond to intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. A multicenter controlled trial is needed to assess properly the role of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.