title: [Guillain-Barre syndrome in children: experience in the neurology service of Dakar].
abstract: A retrospective survey has been conducted from january 1979 to january 1999 about the young inpatients file records of the department of neurology of Dakar. 19 cases of Guillain-Barré's syndrome have been collected, representing 2.3% of the children admitted in the department of neurology. The children were 18 months to 16 years old. The sex ratio was 1.4. Infectious disease has been reported in 68.4% of the cases during the 4 weeks preceding the neurological features. The notion of vaccination was found in 5.3% of the cases. The motor deficit was frequent, represented by paraparesis in 63.2% and quadriparesis in 36.8% of the cases. The mean duration of the hospitalisation was 28 days. 52.6% of the patients have completely recovered from their motor deficit and this recovery was unachieved in 36.8%. No fatal event has been detected. The therapeutical means were represented by vitaminotherapy B1B6B12 associated with kinesitherapy. Our results reveal a less severe evolution and better prognosis of Guillain-Barré's syndrome affecting children, instead of the absence of more appropriate means of treatment such as plasma exchange and intravenous immune globulin.
authors.affiliation: Service de Neurologie-CHU Fann Dakar, Sénégal.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ndiaye
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sène-Diouf
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Diop
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Ndao
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diagne
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thiam
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ndiaye
authors.forename: I P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Ndiaye
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012675:Senegal / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013831:Thiamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D025101:Vitamin B 6 / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D025101:Vitamin B 6; D014805:Vitamin B 12; D013831:Thiamine