Superficial anterior muscles
Superficial anterior muscles

Guillain-Barre syndrome

Definition:
Guillain-Barre syndrome is a disorder caused by nerve inflammation involving progressive muscle weakness or paralysis, which often follows an infectious illness.

Alternative Names:
Landry-Guillain-Barre syndrome; Acute idiopathic polyneuritis; Infectious polyneuritis; Acute inflammatory polyneuropathy

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Guillain-Barre syndrome is an acute type of nerve inflammation. The inflammation damages portions of the nerve cell, resulting in muscle weakness or paralysis and sensory loss. The damage usually includes loss of the myelin sheath of the nerve (demyelination), which slows the conduction of impulses through the nerve.

The damage can also cause denervation (kill the axon part of the nerve cell), which stops nerve function entirely. Without the axon, messages cannot be transferred from one nerve cell to another.

The exact cause of this disorder is unknown. It may occur at any age but is most common in people of both sexes between the ages 30 and 50. It often follows a minor infection, usually a respiratory (lung) infection or gastrointestinal (gut) infection. Signs of the original infection have usually disappeared before the signs of Guillain-Barre begin.


Guillain-Barre syndrome may occur in association with viral infections like mononucleosis, AIDS, and herpes simplex or after infections with bacteria, such as mycoplasma and some types of diarrhea. Sometimes Guillain-Barre occurs after recent surgery or vaccinations (such as rabies and swine flu vaccines) or in association with other medical problems such as systemic lupus erythematosus or Hodgkin's disease.

Symptoms:

The disorder progresses rapidly (from days to a few weeks), causing weakness or paralysis in a symmetrical manner. As weakness starts in the legs and then spreads to the arms, it is referred to as ascending paralysis. At the same time, patients may notice tingling, foot or hand pain, and clumsiness. As paralysis worsens, the patient may require assisted ventilation in order to breathe.

The phases of the illness include an initial phase of rapid worsening that may take only a few hours to reach the most severe symptoms. This phase can last up to 3 weeks. This is followed by a plateau phase of no changes, then a recovery phase where symptoms improve over days to 6 months or longer.

Typical symptoms include the following:

  • Muscle weakness or paralysis (the most common symptom) or uncoordinated movements
    • Weakness begins in the feet and legs and may progress upward to the arms and cranial (head) nerves
    • May progress rapidly over 24 to 72 hours
    • May begin in the arms and progress downward
    • May occur in the arms and legs at the same time
    • May occur in the cranial nerves only
    • May not occur (mild cases)
  • Sensation changes
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease: Symptoms indicating an emergency:
Signs and tests:

A history of increasing muscle weakness and paralysis may indicate Guillain-Barre syndrome, especially if there was a recent illness.

Neurological examination shows muscle weakness and may indicate dysfunction of the control of involuntary (autonomic) body functions such as blood pressure and heart rate. Sensory loss may be minimal, even when sensory changes are present.

There may be evidence of decreased breathing ability caused by paralysis of the breathing muscles and a decrease in deep tendon reflexes in the arms and legs.

Treatment:
In the past, before treatment was available, many patients recovered completely with time. However, symptoms may be severe during the course of the disorder, and hospitalization is usually required to support breathing function and prevent complications and to provide physical therapy.

Plasmaphoresis may decrease the severity of the symptoms and facilitate a more rapid recovery. In this procedure, blood plasma, which contains antibodies, is removed from the body and replaced with intravenous fluids or antibody-free donated plasma. Intravenous immune globulin (IVIg) is equally effective in reducing the severity and duration of the symptoms.

Other treatments are directed at preventing complications such as choking during feeding (through positioning or use of a feeding tube), blood clots (through positioning and sometimes blood thinners), intermittent bladder catheterization, and others. Pain is treated aggressively with anti-inflammatory agents and narcotics if needed.
Support Groups:

Guillain-Barre Syndrome Foundation International

Expectations (prognosis):
Almost all cases (95%) survive and the majority recover completely. Mild weakness may persist for some people. The outcome is most likely to be very good when symptoms remit within 3 weeks of their onset.
Complications:
Calling your health care provider:
Go to the emergency room or call the local emergency number (such as 911) if loss of movement, decreased sensation or other emergency symptoms occur, including difficulty swallowing or breathing, feeling "unable to take a deep breath," or fainting.

Review Date: 7/17/2002
Reviewed By: Joseph V. Campellone, M.D., Division of Neurology, Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2003 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.