Case Reports of Pembrolizumab-induced Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy

Abstract

Pembrolizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that blocks the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) pathway, thereby enhancing antitumor immunity. As the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors becomes more prevalent, so do immune-related adverse events associated with their use. The immune-related adverse events linked with this class of drugs are commonly seen and most of the time are classified as mild adverse events. These are easily treated with steroids if recognition of symptomatology and treatment are promptly established. However, neurologic immune-related adverse events are less understood and have been infrequently cited in the medical literature, thus representing a challenge for clinicians.