title: Looks can be deceiving: three cases of neurological diseases mimicking Guillain-Barrè syndrome.
abstract: Guillain-Barrè syndrome (GBS) is an acute, paralyzing, inflammatory peripheral nerve disease, featured by monophasic disease course, symmetrical limb weakness and areflexia. Several pathologies can mimic the clinical presentation of GBS, making hard the differential diagnosis for patients complaining of acute flaccid paralysis. In this paper we describe three cases of different neurological diseases presenting with acute motor symptoms mimicking GBS, reviewing the relevant literature on misdiagnosis of GBS.
authors.affiliation: Department "G. F. Ingrassia", Section of Neurosciences, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sciacca
authors.affiliation: Department "G. F. Ingrassia", Section of Neurosciences, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nicoletti
authors.affiliation: Department "G. F. Ingrassia", Section of Neurosciences, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: S Lo
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Fermo
authors.affiliation: Department "G. F. Ingrassia", Section of Neurosciences, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mostile
authors.affiliation: Department "G. F. Ingrassia", Section of Neurosciences, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giliberto
authors.affiliation: Department "G. F. Ingrassia", Section of Neurosciences, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123, Catania, Italy. m.zappia@unict.it.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zappia
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Differential diagnosis; Electromyography; Guillain–Barrè syndrome; Misdiagnosis