title: [Guillain-Barré syndrome in childhood: epidemiology and clinical aspects].
abstract: From 1980 to 1988, 25 cases of S.G.B. were diagnosed in children of ages between 2 and 12 years old at the Pediatric Clinic of Catania University. No seasonal or sexual prevalence was observed and only 5 children were less than 5 years old at the beginning of the disease. The diagnosis was based on 2 principal points: 1) pain at the inferior limbs with motor, sensitive and autonomous disturbances; 2) an increase of the globulins in the cerebrospinal liquid without a quantitative variation of the cells. The disease had a medium length of duration of 20 to 30 days; only in 2 children respiratory assistance was necessary, because of an ascending paresis, which included the respiratory muscles, while in 2 other aged 11 and 12 years old the disease presented itself as being diphasic with a short intermittent intervals, which made us think of a complete remission. In one of these 2 patients, the disease manifested itself in an unusual manner, hitting initially the muscles of the upper limbs, the III cranial nerve and with marked cephalgia. The E.M.G. taken on 7 children presented itself as being frankly neuropathic.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Pediatrica dell'Università di Catania, Cattedra di Scienza dell'Ortogenesi, Italia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Avola
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Musumeci
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D011129:Polyradiculoneuropathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012621:Seasons
vernacular_title: La sindrome di Guillain-Barré nell'infanzia. Epidemologia e clinica.