Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy caused by HIV infection in a patient with asymptomatic CMT 1A

J Peripher Nerv Syst. 2000 Sep;5(3):158-62. doi: 10.1046/j.1529-8027.2000.00014.x.

Abstract

It is well known that patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease are liable to present with episodes of cortisone-responsive demyelination, and a superimposed inflammatory component has been suggested. We report a patient who presented with a chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy due to a recent HIV infection, which revealed a previously asymptomatic CMT 1A disease documented by identification of the characteristic duplication on the p11.2 region of chromosome 17. The inflammatory process was characterized by pathologic findings on a superficial peroneal nerve biopsy, and the patient improved significantly after corticotherapy. This report gives support to the hypothesis of a genetic susceptibility to inflammatory demyelinating processes in certain CMT kindreds.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Biopsy
  • Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease / pathology*
  • Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease / virology*
  • HIV Infections / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Peroneal Nerve / pathology
  • Peroneal Nerve / ultrastructure
  • Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating / pathology*
  • Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating / virology*