Via practica 5/2016

Autoimmune polyneuropathies

Polyneuropathies belong to most frequent neurologic disorders and patients with polyneuropathies are often seen in general practitioner´s out-patient care. Polyneuropathies are a heterogenous group of diffuse or multiple systemic disorders of peripheral nerves caused by various endogenous and exogenous factors. According to etiology polyneuropathies are classified as metabolic, toxic, inflammatory, hereditary, paraneoplastic, due to vitamin deficits, and malnutrition. In some polyneuropathies an autoimmune etiology was cleared in last years – acute polyradiculoneuritis Guillain-Barré and its variants, chronic inflammatory demyelinating neuropathy, multifocal motor neuropathy, gluten polyneuropathy and paraproteinaemic neuropathies. The prognosis of patients with autoimmune polyneuropathies depends on early recognition of correct diagnosis and on early application of adequate immunotherapy. The aim of the paper is to focus on the cardinal clinical characteristics of autoimmune polyneuropathies enabling their early diagnosis and to focus on the types of immunotherapy effective in their treatment.

Keywords: peripheral nerve disorders, autoimmune polyneuropathies, clinical characteristics, diagnostics, immunotherapy