How To Diagnose And Treat Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a disorder of autoimmunity where an individual's immune system inappropriately attacks the healthy tissues that protect the nerve cells. The myelin sheath is a type of protective fatty insulation that helps shield nerves from damage and allows for the smooth and uninterrupted transmission of impulses from one nerve to the next. The trigger of CIDP in some individuals is not currently known and has no infectious or genetic association. Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy is more common in older adults than it is in any other age group, and it is more prevalent in men than it is in women. Individuals with CIDP experience symptoms including gradual limb weakening, reflex loss, balance loss, numbness, tingling, and difficulty walking. CIDP can be diagnosed using a physical exam, blood tests, urine tests, nerve conduction study, and a lumbar puncture.

There are several ways chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy can be diagnosed and treated. Reveal them now.

Diagnostic Tests

It can be difficult for a physician to narrow down a diagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy in an individual who presents with symptoms characteristic of this rare neurological disorder. An individual who has symptoms of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy may be brushed off until their symptoms become so pronounced that they interfere with everyday activities and responsibilities. The only diagnostic tests used specifically to make a chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy diagnosis are a spinal tap, nerve biopsy, and electromyography. A chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy patient may exhibit abnormally high levels of certain proteins in their cerebrospinal fluid that can be detected with the use of a spinal tap procedure. Patients will also present with a pattern of multifocal demyelination when they undergo a nerve conduction study or electromyography.

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