Masanaka Takeda, Hisao Tachibana, Kenkichi Tuda, Sayoko Wada, Syuhei Kasama, Shohei Watanabe, Toshio Takaoka, Takashi Kimura, Koji Kajiyama and Hiroo Yoshikawa
The visual evoked potentials (VEPs) of 10 patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and 25 normal subjects were studied to identify possible evidence of central nervous system (CNS) demyelination. VEPs were performed in each patient before and 1 month after treatment with intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg). Prolonged P100 latency (≥mean±2SD of normal subjects) in 3 patients (30%) in at least one eye before IVIg treatment was improved in both eye stimulations after treatment. They also showed recovery of motor function after IVIg administration. MRI showed no lesions suggestive of CNS demyelination in any patients. Our findings suggest the existence of combined central and peripheral demyelinating lesions in CIDP and emphasize the possibility of a common pathogenic mechanism for both lesions.