title: Response to treatment in patients with Lewis-Sumner syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our aim was to document the classification of Lewis-Sumner syndrome (L-SS) based on the response to treatment and the pattern of progression over time.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively identified 15 patients with L-SS treated for at least 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 1 year, intravenous immunoglobulin was effective in 7 patients, 6 were stable, and 2 worsened. After 5 years, 5 patients had improved, and 3 were stable. These 8 patients needed repeated treatment, and 2 patients gradually worsened. Two patients worsened dramatically after steroid treatment. In 3 patients the neuropathy progressed to the other limbs and developed into an asymmetric polyneuropathy. In 12 other patients the pattern remained multifocal and asymmetric.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The possibility of decline resulting from corticosteroids, and the fact that no neurological progression toward a diffuse pattern was observed in the majority of patients suggests that L-SS is a different entity from chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Neuromuscular Disorders, CHU La Timone, 264 rue St. Pierre, Marseille 13385, France. sattarian@ap-hm.fr
authors.forename: Shahram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Attarian
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verschueren
authors.forename: Jérome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Franques
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salort-Campana
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jouve
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pouget
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020277:Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous