Understanding the Downstream Impacts of Delayed CIDP Diagnosis: Karen Lynch, MD, MRCPI

WATCH TIME: 3 minutes

“Once you start to get significant axonal damage, that’s where the concern for irreversibility really comes in. The earlier we recognize and appropriately treat these patients, the better chance we have of preventing long-term disability.”

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a rare immune-mediated neuropathy characterized by progressive weakness, sensory dysfunction, and impaired motor function resulting from inflammation and damage to peripheral nerves. Although several therapies are available, diagnosis often remains challenging because of the disease’s heterogeneity, overlap with other neuropathies, and reliance on clinical evaluation and electrodiagnostic testing rather than a definitive biomarker.

Delayed or missed diagnosis can carry substantial consequences for patients with CIDP. Ongoing immune-mediated injury may lead not only to demyelination, but also secondary axonal damage, which is often associated with irreversible disability and reduced functional recovery. As researchers continue to investigate biomarkers, registries, and more refined diagnostic strategies, improving early recognition has become an increasingly important goal within the neuromuscular community.

At the 2026 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois, Karen Lynch, MD, MRCPI, senior global medical director at Sanofi, spoke with NeurologyLive^® about the clinical burden associated with delayed CIDP diagnosis. In the discussion, Lynch explains how prolonged disease activity can contribute to permanent nerve injury, why earlier treatment initiation is critical for preserving long-term function, and how ongoing innovation may continue to improve diagnostic precision and therapeutic development in CIDP.

Click here for more AAN 2026 coverage.