LOW-BACK-PAIN DUE TO HYPERTROPHIC ROOTS AS PRESENTING SYMPTOM OF CIDP

Attention has recently been drawn to chronic inflammatory demyelinatin g polyneuropathy (CIDP) with symptomatic nerve root hypertrophy. A 31- year-old woman had fluctuating and worsening low back pain. Absent ten don jerks and a slight weakness of the hand interossei muscles suggest ed a diffuse neuropathy. The electrophysiological and histological fin dings were diagnostic for CIDP. Lumbar spine MRI showed marked nerve r oot enlargement with gadolinium enhancement. This case widens the rang e of the clinical presentations of CIDP. Further studies are warranted to ascertain whether cauda equina gadolinium enhancement may be a use ful tool in the diagnosis of CIDP and a marker of disease activity for monitoring response to therapy.