CIDP, while rare, is the most common chronic autoimmune peripheral nervous system disorder, yet it remains difficult to diagnose1-3
Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is an autoimmune disorder. In CIDP, both cellular and humoral immune responses may contribute to macrophage‑mediated myelin damage, and in some patients, complement activation against the peripheral nerves. The damage to the myelin and subsequent loss of conduction capability can lead to weakness and sensory loss.3-7
The condition predominantly affects adults over 50, with men aged 55 and older showing higher diagnosis rates than women.8
A cross-sectional survey of 542 patients revealed that one-third of patients receive an initial misdiagnosis, with a median time from symptom onset to confirmed diagnosis of 7 months.9*
CIDP imposes a substantial and persistent burden9,10
In a secondary analysis of the cross-sectional study, neurologists (N=164, reporting on 1056 of their consulting adult patients with CIDP) and patients* reported outcomes indicative of a high disease burden.9,10
47.3% of patients required mobility aids10*
12.2% of patients reported poor symptom control; 5.8% of physicians reported their patients' symptoms were poorly controlled10
Mean quality of life (QOL) scores, assessed via EuroQol-5 dimension-5 level survey (a standardized, patient-reported questionnaire used to measure general health-related QOL), were below the general population norms10*
Although some patients in the study were receiving maintenance therapy, self-reports indicated the presence of residual disability.10
*Data are drawn from the Adelphi Real World CIDP Disease Specific Programme™, a cross-sectional survey with retrospective data collection conducted between September 2022 and April 2023 across 8 countries. Patient-reported outcomes were collected from 428 of 1056 patients (40.5%) at the time of their clinic visit. Maintenance therapy was prescribed for 81.6% of patients in the overall cohort. Limitations may have included selection bias due to the voluntary nature of the survey, potential overrepresentation of more severe patients actively consulting physicians, and the cross-sectional study design, which did not allow causal conclusions.10
References: 1. Broers MC, Bunschoten C, Drenthen J, et al. Eur J Neurol. 2021;28:2065-2073. doi:10.1111/ene.14796 2. van Doorn IN, Eftimov F, Wieske L, van Schaik IN, Verhamme C. Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2024;20:111-126. doi:10.2147/TCRM.S360249 3. Quast I, Keller CW, Hiepe F, Tackenberg B, Lünemann JD. Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2016;3(9):730-735. doi:10.1002/acn3.331 4. Koike H, Nishi R, Ikeda S, et al. Neurology. 2018;91(23):1051-1060. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000006625 5. Stino AM, Naddaf E, Dyck PJ, Dyck PJB. Muscle Nerve. 2021;63(2):157-169. doi:10.1002/mus.27046 6. Querol LA, Hartung HP, Lewis RA, et al. Neurotherapeutics. 2022;19(3):864-873. doi:10.1007/s13311-022-01221-y 7. Di Stefano V, Barbone F, Ferrante C, et al. Eur J Inflamm. 2020;18:1-17. doi:10.1177/2058739220942340 8. Gable KL, Arackal J, Edwards Y, Schwinn J, Venker B, Miller-Wilson LA. Neuroepidemiology. 2026;12:1-8. doi:10.1159/000550418 9. Arvin-Berod C, Brackx F, Van de Veire L, et al. Front Neurol. 2026;16:1748903. doi:10.3389/fneur.2025.1748903 10. Querol L, Rinaldi S, Borsi A, et al. J Peripher Nerv Syst. 2025;30(3):e70047. doi:10.1111/jns.70047 11. Roman-Guzman RM, Martinez-Mayorga AP, Guzman-Martinez LD, Rodriguez-Leyva I. Cureus. 2025;17(1):e76749. doi:10.7759/cureus.76749