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Response of Vasculitic Peripheral Neuropathy to Intravenous Immunoglobulin
Author(s) -
LEVY YAIR,
UZIEL YOSEF,
ZANDMAN GIESELE,
ROTMAN PNINA,
AMITAL HAWARED,
SHERER YANIV,
LANGEVITZ PNINA,
GOLDMAN BOLECK,
SHOENFELD YEHUDA
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1196/annals.1361.121
Subject(s) - antibody , medicine , peripheral neuropathy , peripheral , immunoglobulin g , immunology , intravenous immunoglobulins , dermatology , diabetes mellitus , endocrinology
A bstract : Peripheral neuropathy is a prominent feature of the systemic and secondary vasculitides. Usually, it responds to corticosteroids therapy, but in certain cases it may resist corticosteroid or immunosuppressive treatment, or both. The objective of this study is to present case reports of patients who exhibited various inflammatory diseases, accompanied with vasculitic peripheral neuropathies, for which intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) was used for treatment. The study included 10 patients with the following: Sjögren's syndrome (1), systemic lupus erythematosus (2), vaccination‐induced vasculitis (1), Churg‐Strauss vasculitis (1), mixed cryoglobulinemia (2), polyarteritis nodosa (1), sarcoidosis (1), and scleroderma (1). All developed vasculitic peripheral neuropathy and were treated with 1‐13 cycles of high‐dose IVIg (2 g/kg body weight). The patients were followed up for 1‐5 years after this treatment. Results showed that in all but two patients (mixed cryoglobulinemia associated with hepatitis C and sarcoidosis), neuropathy improved or completely resolved after IVIg treatment. In conclusion, IVIg may be beneficial in cases of resistant vasculitic peripheral neuropathy. IVIg should probably be considered as a sole or adjuvant treatment in patients for whom conventional treatment is contraindicated, or for patients in whom conventional treatment has failed.