Prospective study of clinical epidemiology of Guillain-Barré syndrome in Harbin, China.
Clinical manifestations, outcomes, prognostic indicators, and clinico-epidemiological subgroups were described based on the information of 71 patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), who were identified from a prospective survey in Harbin, China during a 1-year period from 1 October 1997 to 30 September 1998. GBS diagnoses of the patients were validated by senior neurologists and most patients were followed up for 6 months after onset. Antecedent events, mainly respiratory infections, were found in 55 (78%) patients during the month before onset. The clinical features, like motor weakness as initial symptoms (82%) and tendon areflexia or hyporeflexia (100%), are similar to those reported from other populations. However, the proportion (70%) of patients reaching to nadir less than 7 days after onset was rather high. Intravenous human immunoglobulin and/or plasmapheresis were used in 45% of the patients and steroids in 58%. At 6 months after onset, 82% of the patients could walk without aid, 46% of the patients had no any residual signs. Four (6%) patients died within 1 month due to respiratory failure. Three subgroups with different clinico-epidemiological characteristics were identified by using cluster analysis. In conclusion, GBS patients in Harbin, China were younger, had shorter time to nadir, frequently preceded by a respiratory infection, and often treated with steroids. Clinical and epidemiological differences of GBS might exist between various populations.
Division of Neurology, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. Qi.Cheng@ipm.ki.se
Qi
Q
Cheng
De-Sheng
DS
Wang
Guo-Xin
GX
Jiang
Hui
H
Han
Yan
Y
Zhang
Wen-Zhi
WZ
Wang
Sten
S
Fredrikson
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric