Deterioration after corticosteroids in CIDP may be associated with pure focal demyelination pattern.
BACKGROUND
In the PREDICT study, a randomised controlled trial comparing dexamethasone with prednisolone in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP), almost a quarter of patients deteriorated soon after starting treatment. The primary objective of this post-hoc analysis was to test the hypothesis that a focal demyelination pattern is associated with early deterioration after corticosteroid treatment and to explore whether various clinical characteristics are associated with deterioration after corticosteroid treatment.


METHODS
Clinical outcome was categorised into early deterioration and non-early deterioration. A neurophysiologist blinded for treatment outcome scored electrophysiological data into following categories: pure focal versus non-focal distribution of demyelination and no/minor versus moderate/severe sensory involvement. Additionally, we compared electrophysiological and clinical baseline parameters, with emphasis on previously reported possible associations.


RESULTS
Early deterioration was found in 7 out of 33 patients (21%). Ten patients had pure focal distribution of demyelination, of whom 5 had early deterioration; 23 patients had non-focal distribution, of whom 2 had early deterioration (p = 0.02). Higher mean median nerve sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) was found in patients with early deterioration compared to patients with non-early deterioration (52.6 and respectively 40.8 m/s, p = 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
Pure focal distribution of demyelination and lesser sensory electrophysiological abnormalities may be associated with early deterioration in CIDP patients treated with corticosteroids.
Department of Neurology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, DD, 1100, The Netherlands. f.eftimov@amc.uva.nl.
Filip
F
Eftimov
Marinus H
MH
Liesdek
Camillus
C
Verhamme
Ivo N
IN
van Schaik
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018450:Disease Progression; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006801:Humans; D020277:Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D003907:Dexamethasone; D011239:Prednisolone