1. Nathan McNeil, MD 4/15/2010

2.  1859, Landry published a report on 10 patients with an ascending paralysis  Subsequently, in 1916, 3 French physicians (Guillain, Barré, and Strohl) described 2 French soldiers with motor weakness, areflexia, CSF albuminocytological dissociation, and diminished deep tendon reflexes.

3.  GBS is a heterogeneous grouping of immune- mediated processes generally characterized by motor, sensory, and autonomic dysfunction  GBS is an acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy  Symptoms  Progressive symmetric ascending muscle weakness  Paralysis  Decreased reflexes

4.  Generally preceded by a bacterial or viral infection  Bacterial diarrhea is frequently with Campylobacter jejuni.  It’s believed that the body’s immune system creates antibodies to fight the infection that also recognize and attack the nerves— specifically Schwann cells.

5.  Most patients (up to 85%) with GBS achieve a full and functional recovery within 6-12 months.  Recovery is maximal by 18 months  Approximately 7-15% of patients have permanent neurologic sequelae including bilateral footdrop, intrinsic hand muscle wasting, sensory ataxia, and dysesthesia.

6.  Only plasma exchange (PE) therapy and intravenous immune serum globulin (IVIG) have proven effective for Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).  Both have been shown to shorten recovery time by as much as 50%