Guillain-Barré syndrome diagnosis

Guillain-Barré syndrome Microchapters
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editors-In-Chief: Priyamvada Singh, MBBS [2]

Overview

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute, autoimmune, polyradiculoneuropathy affecting the peripheral nervous system, usually triggered by an acute infectious process. It is included in the wider group of peripheral neuropathies.

Diagnostic criteria

• Required
  • Progressive, relatively symmetrical weakness of 2 or more limbs due to neuropathy
  • Areflexia
  • Disease course < 4 weeks
  • Exclusion of other causes (see below)
• Supportive
  • relatively symmetric weakness accompanied by numbness and/or tingling
  • mild sensory involvement
  • facial nerve or other cranial nerve involvement
  • absence of fever
  • typical CSF findings obtained from lumbar puncture
  • electrophysiologic evidence of demyelination from electromyogram