Peter Van den Bergh, MD, PhD, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium, shares the newly revised EAN-PNS guidelines on the diagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP). CIDP is a rare and chronic disorder characterized by inflammation and demyelination. The pathophysiology of the disorder remains poorly understood and thus, there is no gold standard diagnostic criteria. Prof. Van den Bergh highlights the importance of separately recognizing the different variants of CIDP as each have well defined characteristics. A notable change to the guidelines is the reduction of three diagnostic categories (possible, probable, and definite) to only possible CIDP and CIDP, given the lack of distinction between probable and definite. The importance of fulfilling clinical and electrodiagnostic criteria for diagnosis is emphasized, with the strength of electrodiagnostic evidence dividing possible CIDP and CIPD. Prof. Van den Bergh also discusses further diagnostic criteria that can be used when clinical and electrodiagnostic criteria can only confirm possible CIDP. This interview took place during the European Academy of Neurology 2021 congress.
