title: Childhood chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy: clinical course and long-term outcome.
abstract: We reviewed the clinical history, electrophysiologic and pathologic findings, and response to therapy of 16 children with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. The majority presented with lower limb weakness. Sensory loss was uncommon. The illness was monophasic in seven children, relapsing in six, and three had a slowly progressive course. All patients were treated with immunosuppressive agents. In 11, the initial treatment was prednisolone. All had at least a short-term response but five went on to develop a relapsing course. Intravenous immunoglobulin was the initial treatment in four patients. Three responded rapidly, with treatment being stopped after a maximum of 5 months. In resistant chronic inflammatory demyelinating neuropathy, in addition to prednisolone and immunoglobulin, plasma exchange, azathioprine, cyclosporine, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide and pulse methylprednisolone were tried at different times in different patients. On serial neurophysiologic testing slowing of nerve conduction persisted for long periods after clinical recovery. Follow-up was for an average of 10 years. When last seen 14 patients were asymptomatic, two having mild residual deficits. Childhood chronic inflammatory demyelinating neuropathy responds to conventional treatment and generally has a favourable long-term outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children, Sydney, Australia. ryan_mo@a1.tch.harvard.edu
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Grattan-Smith
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Procopis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ouvrier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000209:etiology; D009431:Neural Conduction; D010951:Plasma Exchange; D020277:Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012008:Recurrence; D012021:Reflex, Abnormal; D012074:Remission Induction; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D011239:Prednisolone