The disorder, known as CIDP (chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy), impairs a person’s ability to move, particularly their arms and legs, as well as their sensory capabilities, causing tingling and numbness. Although the specific aetiology of CIDP is unknown, experts believe it is an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s defensive systems target healthy tissues. These healthy tissues, in the case of CIDP, are myelin sheaths, which insulate nerves and allow the nervous system to send impulses more rapidly. Nerve irritation is also a side effect of the condition. What Is CIDP? Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is a rare type…
The disorder, known as CIDP (chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy), impairs a person’s ability to move, particularly their arms and legs, as well as their sensory capabilities, causing tingling and numbness.
Although the specific aetiology of CIDP is unknown, experts believe it is an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s defensive systems target healthy tissues.
These healthy tissues, in the case of CIDP, are myelin sheaths, which insulate nerves and allow the nervous system to send impulses more rapidly.
Nerve irritation is also a side effect of the condition.
What Is CIDP?
Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is a rare type of autoimmune disorder. In an autoimmune disease, the body attacks its own tissues. In CIDP, the body attacks the myelin sheaths. These are the fatty coverings on the fibers that insulate and protect the nerves.
A chronic variant of acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy is referred to as (AIDP). Unlike Guillain Barré syndrome (GBS), most CIDP patients are unable to identify a previous viral or infectious ailment. GBS is a subacute condition that develops over 3-4 weeks, plateaus, and then improves over months, with no recurrence. CIDP is defined as a condition that has been present for more than 8 weeks and does not improve unless treatment is continued.
The following are the most common CIDP classifications:
- Progressive: The disease is progressive, meaning it becomes worse over time.
- Recurrent: Symptoms that come and go.
- Monophasic: Disease is defined as a single episode of the disease that lasts 1 to 3 years and does not reoccur.
What Are the Sign and Symptoms of CIDP?
The symptoms of CIPD tend to worsen over time. The following are some of the possible signs of the condition:
- Clumsiness
- Trouble in Swallowing (dysphagia)
- Double Vision
- Foot Dropping
- reflexes are lost
- tingling in the hands and feet
- tingling or soreness in the extremities
- inexplicable exhaustion
Symptoms of the disease usually appear on both sides of the body, for example, in both legs. Some persons may only experience changes in their sensory function, such as tingling and numbness, but not in their walking or movement.
Fatigue, burning, discomfort, and visual problems are some of the other signs and symptoms of CIDP. The neurologic exam will reveal weak muscles that have possibly lost their size and definition (atrophy). Deep tendon reflexes are either absent or severely diminished. Walking will be strange, as will responses to numerous sensory stimuli.
What Causes CIDP?
According to current thought, the body’s immune system, which is supposed to defend us, mistakenly recognizes myelin as alien and destroys it. The peripheral nervous system relies heavily on myelin. It acts like insulation around an electrical wire, wrapping around the nerve axon (the long, wire-like component of a nerve cell).
Nerves run from the spinal cord to the rest of the body, causing muscle contraction and relaying sensory information from skin and joint receptors to the neurological system. Electrical impulses can readily flow down the nerve axon because of the insulation (myelin).
When myelin is damaged or removed, these electrical impulses are slowed or lost, and messages transmitted from the brain are disrupted and may never reach their intended location.
Although the specific causes of CIDP are uncertain, considerable evidence suggests that it is an autoimmune condition. Additionally, autoimmune diseases arise when the body’s natural defenses (antibodies and lymphocytes) against invading infections suddenly start attacking completely healthy tissue.
Autoimmune diseases have no recognized aetiology. Recent research has discovered antibodies directed against peripheral nerve constituents (neurofascin 155 and contactin 1) that produce rare CIDP variations. These findings raise the possibility that other types of CIDP may have a known cause.
How Is the Diagnosis of CIDP Made?
Because CIDP is so unique, it’s generally difficult to identify it correctly, at least at first. Because the diseases are so similar, healthcare providers may mistake its symptoms for those of GBS. If your symptoms persist for more than 8 weeks, your doctor may suspect CIDP.
Your healthcare practitioner may perform additional tests to confirm a diagnosis of CIDP after taking your medical history and performing a physical examination, such as:
- Urine and blood tests.
- To check for myelin degeneration in the peripheral nerves, a nerve conduction test was carried out. However, an alternative name for this test is an electromyogram. In order to test nerve function and response, low electrical currents are applied.
- A procedure where a needle is put into the back is called a lumbar puncture. A tiny needle is placed into your back and a sample of your cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is withdrawn during this procedure. CSF is the term for the fluid that surrounds your spinal cord. The method aids healthcare providers in detecting high amounts of disease-related proteins.
Other CIDP Diagnosis Is Based on the Patient’s Symptoms:
- Loss of sensation (numbness), aberrant sensation (tingling and discomfort), loss of reflexes, and weakness are some of the symptoms (difficulty walking, foot drops).
- A doctor will begin by gathering information about the patient’s medical history and asking about their symptoms. The absence of reflexes and weakness in the arms and legs are two indications that could indicate CIDP.
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