Advancements in the treatment of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is a rare heterogeneous autoimmune neuropathy that generally responds well to treatment. The treatment of CIDP can be divided into two distinct phases, each with its own treatment objectives. The first phase is induction therapy, which aims to achieve improvement in disability, remission as well as limit residual deficits. The second phase consists of maintenance therapy and is initiated when patients exhibit ongoing disease activity despite induction treatment. The goal of maintenance treatment is to preserve the improvement achieved during induction and to prevent deterioration (‘relapse’). Part 1 of this thesis outlines the currently available (first-line) treatment options with immunoglobulins (Ig) and corticosteroids. Part 2 discusses a novel treatment strategy consisting of the combination of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) and intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP). In the general discussion, the findings of this thesis are placed into context, and a perspective is offered on the future direction of treatment for CIDP.