BACKGROUND: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is treated with intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg), corticosteroids or plasma exchange (PE). IVIg dosage is not universal and markers for treatment management are needed. METHODS: We report the response to high-dose and fractioned IVIg in a subgroup of definite CIDP patients, resistant to corticosteroids and PE, responders to IVIg but with an efficacy window <15 d. RESULTS: Four patients were included with similar predominantly clinical motor form and conduction abnormalities. Treatment management consisted of fractioning IVIg and increasing the monthly cumulated dose (mean: 3 g/kg/month). Serum IgG concentration was measured and correlated to the clinical state. Monitoring of serum IgG helped to guide IVIg administration dosage and frequency. A mean of 10 months was required to improve symptoms; therapy was then switched to subcutaneous (SC) route (maintenance dose: 3.5 g/kg/month). The mean Overall Neuropathy Limitations Scale was improved from 11 to 3.2 and the mean Medical Research Council scale from 26 to 90. CONCLUSION: It is important to distinguish patients with short IVIg efficacy window from those with classical resistance since the former may benefit from fractioning and increasing the IVIg dose. The monitoring of serum IgG level and its correlation to the clinical response could be of help in monitoring each individual's dosage.
Immunoglobulins, Intravenous/therapeutic use , Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating/drug therapy , Adult , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Drug Administration Schedule , Female , Humans , Immunoglobulins, Intravenous/administration & dosage , Male , Middle Aged , Treatment Outcome
Myositis/chemically induced , Myositis/complications , Paraparesis/complications , Aged , CD56 Antigen/metabolism , Humans , Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors/adverse effects , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism , Muscle, Skeletal/pathology , Myositis/diagnostic imaging , Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules/metabolism , Paraparesis/diagnostic imaging , Tomography, X-Ray Computed
An intra-cerebral schwannoma, presenting as a cystic, calcified, enhancing frontal mass, arising in a 52-year-old woman was misdiagnosed as a glioma and treated with radiotherapy. This observation emphasizes the importance of careful histological reexamination of all brain tumors when a discrepancy appears between the initial histological diagnosis and the clinical evolution, in order to recognize rare curable entities and to avoid potentially toxic treatment.
Brain Neoplasms/pathology , Glioma/pathology , Neurilemmoma/pathology , Biopsy , Brain Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Brain Neoplasms/surgery , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Frontal Lobe/pathology , Frontal Lobe/radiation effects , Frontal Lobe/surgery , Glioma/radiotherapy , Glioma/surgery , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Middle Aged , Neurilemmoma/radiotherapy , Neurilemmoma/surgery , Treatment Failure , Treatment Outcome
