ABSTRACT
Acute or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy is a rare disorder
that presents with weakness, hyporeflexia, and sensory loss. Treatment consists of
immunosuppression and/or plasma exchange. A woman in the first trimester of pregnancy
presents with flaccid quadriplegia and numbness. Electromyography demonstrated a demyelinating
polyneuropathy with active denervation. The diagnosis of acute inflammatory demyelinating
polyradiculoneuropathy was made. She was treated with corticosteroids and plasmapheresis.
Despite slow improvement, she decided to terminate the pregnancy at 18 weeks' gestation.
At 1 year postpartum she is still in remission. Inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy
should be considered in the differential diagnosis of every pregnant woman with new
onset peripheral neuropathy. It is suggested that relapse occurs three times more
common during pregnancy. Plasmapheresis is the recommended treatment.
KEYWORD
Inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy - pregnancy - lupus
