Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy in childhood: ultrastructural features of peripheral nerve biopsies in four cases

Peripheral nerve biopsies (PNB) from four children suffering from subacute or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy were studied by electron microscopy. Remyelinating features with onion bulb formations, inflammatory cell infiltrates and active demyelinating lesions were strongly suggestive of the disease. In the first case, a second PNB, performed after 7 months of severe subacute course, showed a striking evolution of the lesions. In the second case and in spite of severe neurological symptoms, the PNB was almost normal, suggesting that inflammatory lesions were mainly located in the proximal parts of the nerve. No signs of active demyelination could be seen in the third case but onion bulb formations and inflammatory cell infiltrates were present. In the fourth case, characteristic lesions of active demyelination were associated with a history of familial polyneuropathy; this association suggests an auto-immune process in certain kindreds with hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy.