Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) in a Patient with Diabetes: a primary care perspective

Abstract

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a recurrent and progressive disease that causes proximal, symmetrical extremity weakness. The disease is diagnosed using clinical features, electrophysiologic testing, albumino-cytological disassociation in the cerebrospinal fluid, and sural nerve plexus biopsy. However, because of the low sensitivity of diagnostic criteria and other similar neuropathies, including diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN), accurate diagnosis is difficult. Differentiating between these diseases is especially important as CIDP’s changes are reversible and DPN’s are not. Making this differentiation allows for symptomatic improvement in a patient’s quality of life that would not be achieved otherwise. Early recognition and treatment, with modalities including corticosteroids, plasmapheresis, and IVIG, demonstrate improvement in a majority of patients. Primary care physicians (PCP) encounter patients with diabetes daily. It is important for PCPs to have a level of familiarity with CIDP to best care for those patients.

Keywords

• chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
• cidp
• diabetic polyneuropathy
• primary care