Background: Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is an immune mediated neuropathy with variable presentation ranging from symmetrical paralysis to a variety of focal manifestations progressing slowly or in a fluctuating pattern. There is no information about the condition in Africa. Method: A Prospective case series of CIDP patients defined according to the criteria of Saperstein. Patients were recruited from the Johannesburg Hospital, South Africa, over a 2-year period. Results: 26 patients were identified. The male to female ratio was 1: 2 with an average age of 41 years. 10 patients were HIV positive. All were black females. There were no differences clinically between the HIV positive and HIV negative groups. The CSF proteins level was raised in only 42% of patients. Conclusion: The patients seen by us at the Johannesburg hospital have a younger age of onset and a female predominance. HIV was identified in 40% of our patients.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst. / Härtill 5 uppsatser och 1 appendix.