Myelinopathy is due to primary destruction of myelin or the myelinating Schwann cells, which leaves the axon intact, but causes an acute failure of impulse conduction.
This demyelination slows down or completely blocks the conduction of electical impulses through the nerve.
The most common cause is acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP, better known as Guillain-Barré syndrome), though other causes include chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), genetic metabolic disorders (e.g., leukodystrophy or Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease), or toxins.
Persons with myelinopathy often lose deep tendon reflexes (DTRs), and may also present with generalized weakness, since motor fibers are also myelinated.
References
- Diseases of the peripheral system
