[Importance of the nerve biopsy for the diagnosis of atypical forms of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuritis: 8 cases].

The objective of the study was to define how could be helpful a nerve biopsy for identification of atypical cases of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). An ad hoc committee in 1991 defined the clinical, electrophysiological and pathological criteria for diagnosis of CIDP. In common with other authors, we regard the rather specific electrophysiological criteria as being too restrictive, and we think that a significant number of patients may therefore not benefit from effective treatment or be excluded from therapeutic trials.

Diagnostic value of nerve biopsy for atypical chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy: evaluation of eight cases.

The diagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) relies primarily on clinical and electrophysiologic examination, but the nerve biopsy findings may be supportive, especially in atypical cases. In order to define the usefulness of nerve biopsy in this disease, we retrospectively studied 44 consecutive patients whom we classified as having CIDP on pathological grounds. We found that 8 of these 44 patients had pathological findings indicative of CIDP but did not meet any of the usually accepted electrophysiological criteria for its diagnosis.