Immunological study of chronic polyneuropathies of undetermined cause.

The majority of acute idiopathic polyneuropathies causing maximum disability occurring over the course of a few days to a few weeks have the features of the Guillain-Barre syndrome. This is a useful label and has encouraged the study of idiopathic acute polyneuropathies as a whole, providing some evidence of pathogenetic homogeneity within this group whether the neuritis appears de novo or follows a specific virus infection. On the other hand, chronic idiopathic or essential polyneuropathy with a subacute onset and pursuing either a progressive or remitting course, sometimes clearing completely, has attracted very little attention. Diabetic and nutritional neuropathy excepted, the latter con-stitute the commonest polyneuropathy seen outside