Utility of neurophysiological criteria in Guillain Barre΄ syndrome: subtype spectrum from a tertiary referral hospital in India.
BACKGROUND
The Guillain Barre' syndrome (GBS) is a heterogeneous disease with various subtypes, the prevalence of which would depend on the geographic region. Recognition of these subtypes is of clinical importance since each subtype has an independent pathogenesis and different type of pathology and prognosis.


OBJECTIVE
To study the various subtypes of GBS using the various published electrophysiological criteria.


METHODS
Retrospective descriptive study.


METHODS
In a tertiary care hospital setting, the study compared the various published criteria for demyelination in GBS. The charts of 115 consecutive patients referred for electrodiagnostic evaluation to the Electromyography laboratory between July 2000 and June 2006 were reviewed.


RESULTS
Of the 115 patients, 51 (44.4%) patients had axonal forms of GBS and 44 (38.2%) patients had acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP). Applying the various published criteria, the number of patients categorized under the AIDP subtype ranged between 23.4% and 67.2%.


CONCLUSIONS
In this study 44% patients had axonal forms of the disease, 38.2% patients had AIDP subtype and 17% remained unclassified. The most sensitive criteria to identify AIDP were the criteria proposed by Albers and colleagues and the Dutch group.
Department of Neurological Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. mathewwalex@cmcvellore.ac.in
M
M
Alexander
A T
AT
Prabhakar
S
S
Aaron
M
M
Thomas
V
V
Mathew
A K
AK
Patil
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D011930:Reaction Time; D012189:Retrospective Studies