Ms & Cdip

DeeDee,

Oversimplifying, MS is a disease of the central nervous system, that is, the brain and the spinal cord. CIDP is a disease of the peripheral nervous system, that is, the nerves that run from the spinal cord out to the extremities and trunk.

Both of them involve demyelination, which is a process in which the myelin sheath that surrounds the axon of the nerve is destroyed by the immune system. It turns out that the myelin of the CNS differs from the myelin of the PNS (at least, it is made by different cells), which might help to explain why there are the two diseases.

MS is nowadays usually confirmed by the presences of “plaques” or regions of sclerosis, as seen in an MRI exam of the brain and spinal cord. In order for it to be MS, there must be more than one. CIDP does not have a similar MRI exam.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask more questions. Many people here are very knowledgeable about CIDP and MS.

MarkEns

Hello,
I just wanted to add that if treatments bring CIDP under control; and there’s a good chance that they can; the peripheral nervous system CAN heal.