title: Amyloid neuropathy mimicking chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Amyloid neuropathy is a rare peripheral neuropathy that classically presents as a progressive sensory neuropathy with prominent autonomic involvement.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe 5 patients with amyloid neuropathy (familial amyloid polyneuropathy or acquired amyloidosis) who were initially mistaken to have chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) based on history, clinical examination, electrodiagnostic studies, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The diagnosis of CIDP had been retained on clinical and electrophysiological grounds for all patients, but we observed no improvement after immunomodulatory treatment. Nerve biopsy confirmed amyloid deposits in nerves, and molecular genetic analysis showed a mutation of the transthyretin (V30M) gene for 3 patients; the 2 other patients had acquired amyloidosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This report emphasizes the need to look for an alternative diagnosis in CIDP patients who do not respond to treatment and to look carefully for symptoms or signs of autonomic involvement in such patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, CHU Poitiers, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France.
authors.forename: Stephane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mathis
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Magy
authors.forename: Laho
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Diallo
authors.forename: Sami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boukhris
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vallat
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017772:Amyloid Neuropathies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D020277:Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000235:genetics; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D014633:Valine / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D011228:Prealbumin; D008715:Methionine; D014633:Valine