We want to study whether MRI can be useful in diagnosing and monitoring patients with CIDP in maintenance treatment with immunoglobulin

Chronic inflammatory neuropathies such as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) can be successfully treated with immunoglobulin either intravenously (IVIG) or subcutaneously (SCIG).

CIDP is diagnosed by electrophysiology which is time-consuming and unpleasant for the patient.

New techniques suggest that Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and ultrasound imaging can be used to detect injuries in the peripheral nerves

We want to study if MRI and ultrasound is able to detect damages in peripheral nerves, nerve roots and plexus in patients with CIDP.

Moreover, we want to compare these findings to healthy matched controls and to see if treatment with immunoglobulin changes findings in MRI

Inclusion Criteria:

CIDP patients

• Age > 18 and < 80 years
• Diagnosed with definite and probable CIDP and fulfilling the European Federation of Neurological Sciences/Peripheral Nerve Society (EFNS/PNS) criteria

Healthy controls

• Age > 18 and < 80 years
• No neurological disorders

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age < 18 or > 80 years
• Contraindications to MRI
• Pregnancy
• Other cause of neuropathy (incl. pressure neuropathy)
• Diabetes mellitus

Patients treated with subcutaneous immunoglobulin for CIDP are invited to participate. They will be recruited from the outpatient clinic at Department of Neurology in Aarhus, Odense and at Rigshospitalet (Copenhagen)

Healthy controls will be recruited by public announcement