Pitfalls for Diagnosis of Polyneuropathy by Nerve Conduction Study

Abstract

Nerve conduction study is helpful and useful for diagnosing peripheral neuropathies. However, there can be some pitfalls in the diagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and its mimics. POEMS syndrome, anti-MAG antibody neuropathy, and amyloid neuropathies can sometimes be diagnosed as CIDP, but their therapeutic strategies are evidently different from that for CIDP. An optimal way to avoid misdiagnosis is to interpret the nerve conduction findings based on careful physical examination and relevant differential diagnosis. Early and appropriate diagnosis can lead to a better prognosis.