Treatment of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy with methotrexate. Issue 4 (16th March 2006)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fialho, D; Chan, Y-C; Allen, D C; Reilly, M M; Hughes, R A C
• Is Part Of: Journal of neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry. Volume 77:Issue 4(2006)
• Page Start: 544
• Page End: 547
• Publication Date: 2006-03-16
• Subjects: CIDP, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy -- INCAT, Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause and Treatment -- IVIg, intravenous immunoglobulin -- MRC, Medical Research Council -- ODSS, Overall Disability Sum Score; peripheral neuropathy -- chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy -- methotrexate -- treatment; Neurology -- Periodicals; Nervous system -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1136/jnnp.2005.074781
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-3050

Abstract

Abstract : We discovered many reports of other immunosuppressive drugs being used in adults with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) but none of methotrexate. As weekly low dose oral methotrexate is safe, effective, and well tolerated in other diseases, we treated 10 patients with otherwise treatment resistant CIDP. Seven showed improvement in strength by at least two points on the MRC sum score and three worsened. Only two showed an improvement in disability and both were also receiving corticosteroids. We discuss the difficulty of detecting an improvement in treatment resistant CIDP and propose methotrexate as a suitable agent for testing in a randomised trial.