title: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy associated with malignant melanoma.
abstract: We report three patients who developed chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) in association with malignant melanoma. In two cases, melanoma was discovered during the initial evaluation for neuropathy. Two patients also had vitiligo, an antibody-mediated disorder that may complicate melanoma. Melanoma cells and Schwann cells are both of neuroectodermal cell origin, with shared surface antigens. Shared immunoreactivity may account for the association between melanoma and CIDP, as with vitiligo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bird
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Shy
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Scherer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000150:complications