What Conditions Can Plasmapheresis Treat?

Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy is a disorder that affects the nervous system by causing inflammation in the nerves around the body. As a result, the nerves swell, and the protective myelin sheath around the nerve is destroyed. The nerves are then impaired from performing their function of transmitting signals. Common symptoms in individuals affected by chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy include symmetric muscle weakness, motor function difficulty, sensation loss, clumsiness, double vision, fatigue, burning, and difficulty with swallowing. While chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy is similar to Guillain-Barre syndrome, it lasts for at least eight weeks and does not improve on its own over time without medical intervention. Plasmapheresis for the treatment of an individual affected by chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy works similarly to the plasmapheresis process used to treat Guillain-Barre syndrome. However, patients with this disorder have to undergo plasmapheresis for a longer duration and sometimes have to have more than one cycle.

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