title: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy--update on pathogenesis, diagnostic criteria and therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a treatable but possibly underdiagnosed disorder of the peripheral nerve. This review covers the growing literature of the past years that deals with the pathogenesis, diagnostic criteria and treatment of CIDP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The recent development of a biphasic animal model of experimental autoimmune neuritis may provide further insights into the pathogenesis of inflammatory demyelination of the peripheral nerve, such as in CIDP, and may allow the development of further innovative therapeutic strategies. In patients, the contribution of immune processes to the dysfunction in hereditary polyneuropathies and the association of hereditary neuropathy and CIDP has been described. Commonly used therapies remain corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin and plasmapheresis; however, newer immunosuppressant approaches using mycophenolate mofetil or cyclosporin A, or immunomodulating therapies using monoclonal antibodies or interferons are presently under investigation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The growing body of knowledge on the pathogenesis of CIDP and further diagnostic differentiation of subforms may help to develop more-effective therapies for CIDP in the next few years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Hubertus
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Köller
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schroeter
authors.forename: Bernd C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Kieseier
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Hartung
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010951:Plasma Exchange / Q000379:methods; D020277:Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D007136:Immunoglobulins