[Clinical and long-term characteristics of the subtypes of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy].

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the clinical and long-term characteristic of each subtype of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). METHODS: We evaluated data from 30 consecutive CIDP patients who met the criteria proposed by the European Federation of Neurological Societies and the Peripheral Nerve Society. RESULTS: Patients were classified as having typical CIDP (t-|CIDP) (10/30, 33%), multifocal acquired demyelinating sensory and motor (MADSAM) (12/30, 40%), DADS (4/30, 13%), sensory CIDP (3/30, 10%) or motor CIDP (1/30, 3%). Nerve conduction studies showed more prolonged distal motor latencies/F-wave latencies and slower motor nerve conduction in the typical CIDP group than in the MADSAM group. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) was effective in 80% (8/10) of t-|CIDP, 100% (12/12) of MADSAM, 100% (4/4) of DADS, and 100% (3/3) of sensory CIDP cases. Maintenance therapy with immunoglobulin was administered in patients with t-|CIDP (5/10, 50%), MADSAM (9/12, 75%), DADS (1/4, 25%), and sensory CIDP (2/3, 67%). There were no patients with CIDP, in whom CIDP subtype was transformed from the initial diagnosis during five years of follow-up. DISCUSSION: Percentage of MADSAM was the most common phenotype in our cohort of CIDP patients, and IVIg/immunoglobulin maintenance was effective for MADSAM as well as t-|CIDP in contrast to findings from the previous reports.