[Guillain-Barré syndrome with nerve conduction blocks at multiple common entrapment sites that rapidly disappeared after plasmapheresis].
Nerve conduction blocks (NCBs) in Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) are frequently found at the distal terminals, proximal segments, and common entrapment sites of peripheral nerves. NCBs at distal terminals and proximal segments are considered to be due to vulnerability of the sites to the humoral factors of GBS because of relative blood-nerve barrier deficiencies. In contrast, it is not clear whether NCBs at common entrapment sites in GBS are due to a vulnerability to humoral influences or to direct mechanical compression injuries. We report a case of a 22-year-old man with GBS. His electrophysiologic examination revealed NCBs at multiple common entrapment sites. All conduction blocks rapidly disappeared after plasmapheresis, in parallel with clinical improvement. The patient was ambulatory throughout the clinical course, suggesting that his common entrapment sites remained free from compression injuries. Rapid improvement by plasmapheresis suggested that there were no demyelinative histologic changes in the NCB sites. Such NCBs may be caused by some humoral factor that is removed by plasmapheresis. Therefore, the common entrapment sites in our patient may have been especially vulnerable to the humoral factor of GBS.
Department of Neurology, Urafune Hospital, Yokohama City University.
K
K
Susuki
K
K
Johkura
Y
Y
Kawauchi
O
O
Hasegawa
Y
Y
Kuroiwa
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009431:Neural Conduction; D010956:Plasmapheresis; D011129:Polyradiculoneuropathy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*