A case of acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy in earlypregnancy

Acute or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy is a rar e disorder that presents with weakness, hyporeflexia, and sensory loss. Tre at ment consists of immunosuppression and/or plasma exchange. A woman in th e first trimester of pregnancy presents with flaccid quadriplegia and numbn ess. Electromyography demonstrated a demyelinating polyneuropathy with acti ve denervation. The diagnosis of acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradic uloneuropathy was made. She was treated with corticosteroids and plasmapher esis. Despite slow improvement, she decided to terminate the pregnancy at 1 8 weeks' gestation. At 1 year postpartum she is still in remission. Inflamm atory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy should be considered in the diff erential diagnosis of every pregnant woman with new onset peripheral neurop athy. It is suggested that relapse occurs three times more common during pr egnancy. Plasmapheresis is the recommended treatment.