Trigeminal nerve thickening in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.

A 21-year-old male presented with 4 years of progressive arm and leg weakness, wasting, areflexia, length-dependent sensory loss, and difficulty walking. Electrodiagnostic studies met diagnostic criteria for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)1. CSF analysis showed elevated total protein. MRI of the head (Figures 1 and 2) and spinal cord (Figure 3) showed spinal root hypertrophy and enhancement as well as thickening and enhancement of the trigeminal nerves. The most distal branches of the trigeminal nerve, such as the supraorbital2, frontal or inferior alveolar nerves, are seldom portrayed in reports of CIDP.