CIDP (chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy) is a rare neurological disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness, numbness and other symptoms. Best Doctor for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and inflammatory myopathies in South Mumbai
Parsing the name of the disease helps to understand its nature:
Chronic: "Chronic" means "long-term". CIDP develops slowly over a period of at least eight weeks. The condition can improve and then return for months or years (relapse).
Inflammatory: Researchers believe that CIDP is caused by problems in the immune system, specifically an autoimmune attack. This leads to excessive inflammation that damages peripheral nerves (nerves located outside the brain and spinal cord).
Demyelination: Inflammation specifically affects the myelin sheath of nerves. This is the protective sheath that surrounds each nerve cell (neuron). Demyelination is the destruction of the myelin sheath.
Polyneuropathy: This is a dysfunction of many peripheral nerves in the body. The word "poly-" means "many". Neuropathy is a general term for any type of peripheral nerve damage. Neuropathy can cause many problems, including muscle weakness and abnormal sensations (paresthesias) such as numbness.
CIDP is closely related to Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). The health system considers CIDP to be a long-term form of GBS. GBS is a rare autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks peripheral nerves.
The most severe stage of GBS usually occurs about two to three weeks after symptoms appear. In most people, however, the symptoms improve again later. CIDP lasts longer - symptoms worsen for at least eight weeks.
Researchers estimate that there are between 0.8 and 8.9 new cases of CIDP per 100,000 people in the United States each year. This range is large because CIDP can affect people in different ways, making it difficult to diagnose.
CIDP can affect anyone at any age, but most commonly affects people who were assigned male at birth (AFAB).
The symptoms of CIDP can vary depending on the type. But the most common symptom is muscle weakness that worsens over a period of at least eight weeks. Typically, muscles in the following areas are affected, equally on both sides of the body
Other symptoms of CIDP may include
In rare cases, the following symptoms may also occur
The severity of these symptoms can change over time. They can occur slowly or quickly, and sometimes they can appear and disappear over time. If you are experiencing symptoms of CIDP, Best Doctor for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and inflammatory myopathies in South Mumbai as soon as possible. Early diagnosis and treatment are key to recovery.
Some variants (types) of CIDP have different symptoms. Typical CIDP is the most common form. It is characterized by symmetrical muscle weakness (both sides of the body are affected) and abnormal sensations (sensory symptoms).
Atypical variants include
Multifocal motor neuropathy: This variant causes muscle weakness only. The weakness is asymmetrical, i.e. it affects different parts of the body.
Lewis-Sumner syndrome: This variant is characterized by asymmetric muscle weakness and sensory symptoms.
Purely sensory CIDP: This variant is characterized by numbness, pain, balance problems and abnormal gait (walking pattern). Muscle weakness is not among the symptoms.
Pure motor CIDP: This variant is characterized by symmetrical muscle weakness and loss of reflexes, but no sensory symptoms.
What causes CIDP?
Researchers believe that CIDP is caused by problems in the immune system. For unknown reasons, the immune system recognizes the myelin sheath as dangerous and attacks it (an autoimmune reaction).
The myelin sheath is the protective layer around nerve cells. It wraps around the nerve axon, the long, wire-like part of the nerve cell. Myelin allows electrical impulses to be transmitted efficiently along nerves. If myelin is damaged or removed, electrical impulses slow down or disappear. And the "messages" may never reach their destination. This is what causes the symptoms of CIDP.
How is CIDP diagnosed?
Diagnosing CIDP can be difficult, especially as different variants have different symptoms. To diagnose CIDP, your Dr Vinaya Bhandari will
Tests that can help confirm CIDP and/or rule out other possible causes of your symptoms include
Electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction tests: These tests examine the health and function of skeletal muscles and the nerves that control them. They look specifically for demyelinating changes in the nerves (such as slowing and blocking) to distinguish CIDP from much more common forms of Best Doctor for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and inflammatory myopathies in South Mumbai.
Spinal tap (lumbar puncture): In this procedure, Dr Vinaya Bhandari inserts a needle into your lower back to take a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The sample is sent to a laboratory where a pathologist analyzes the substances it contains. In about 85-90% of CKD cases, the white blood cell count is normal and the protein level in the CSF is high. Other abnormalities in the CSF may indicate other diseases.
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the lumbar spine (lower back): If the nerve roots in the lumbar spine absorb contrast material during MRI, this can confirm the diagnosis of CIDP.
Blood tests: Dr Vinaya Bhandari may recommend some blood tests to rule out other conditions that can cause neuropathy, such as diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid disease, Lyme disease, HIV or AIDS, lymphoma and others. Some antibodies associated with CIDP may also be detected.
Nerve biopsy: In rare cases, the doctor may recommend a nerve biopsy to look for signs of demyelination.
