Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy: Long-term course and treatment of 60 patients

The objective of this study was to asess the long-term course and treament of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP). We avaluated, according to a predefined protocol, a series of 60 CIDP patients who recieved a long-term course of steroids and immunosuppressants. Eighteen of then also had monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Mean follow-up was 4.4 years and was similar to CIDP and CIDP-MGUS patients. At the end of the follow-up, improvement was ascertained in 60% of patients (69% CIDP, 39% CIDP-MGUS). Complete remission was achieved in 13%. Out of 26 patients receiving steroids as a monotherapy, 19 improved (73%). The following variables were predictive of better outcome: female gender, younger age at onset, replasing-remitting course, and absence of axonal damage at neurophysiologic study. In the multivariate analysis, younger age at onset and demyclination without axonal damage still retained an independent positive value.