From Diagnosis to Recovery: Charting the Path of Children With Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy in a Tertiary Care Setting

Abstract

This study evaluates the clinical profiles and treatment outcomes of 5 children with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy at a pediatric neurology clinic in northern India over 3 years. The patients, aged 2.5-13 years, included 4 with motor sensory polyneuropathy and 1 with pure motor polyneuropathy. The most affected age group was late childhood to early adolescence, with a male-to-female ratio of 3:2. All patients responded well to intravenous pulse therapy with methylprednisolone; 60% had a good response, and 40% showed partial improvement. One child with pure motor neuropathy required additional intravenous immunoglobulin and rituximab. Ultimately, 60% of the children achieved a life without disability, and 40% reached stable, nonprogressive conditions following treatment. This highlights corticosteroids’ critical role as a first-line treatment in low-resource settings and the importance of accurate nerve conduction studies.