Chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Central nervous system

Chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy

Alternative Names:

Polyneuropathy - chronic inflammatory
Symptoms:

Weakness, usually in the arms and hands or legs and feet
Facial weakness
Difficulty walking
Difficulty using the arms and hands or legs and feet
Sensation changes (usually of the arms and hands or legs and feet)
- Pain, burning, tingling, or other abnormal sensations
- Numbness or decreased sensation

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

Swallowing difficulty
Speech impairment
Loss of function or feeling in the muscles
Muscle contractions
Muscle atrophy
Uncoordinated movement
Dysfunctional movement
Joint pain
Hoarseness or changing voice
Fatigue
Facial paralysis
Bowel or bladder dysfunction
Breathing difficulty

Signs and tests:

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A neurological examination shows sensory abnormalities and weakness. Sensation deficits usually occur in a symmetrical pattern, and progress from the extremities to central locations.

Reflexes are usually absent. Muscle weakness or paralysis of the affected area may be present, and muscle atrophy (loss of muscle mass) may be apparent. Nerves may be physically palpable. A nerve biopsy may be necessary to demonstrate an inflammatory cause and to rule out other nerve diseases.

A spinal tap may show elevated CSF total protein or other abnormalities that indicate an inflammatory neurologic process. EMG and nerve conduction tests may indicate loss of the myelin sheath (slow conduction rate) or degeneration of the axon of the nerve cell (normal conduction rate).

The selection of other tests is guided by the suspected cause of the disorder, as suggested by the history, symptoms and pattern of symptom development. The tests may include various X-rays, scans, and blood tests.