Pain and the Guillain-Barré syndrome in children under 6 years old

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D K Nguyen1, S Agenarioti-Bélanger, M Vanasse

  • 1Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Hôpital Sainte-Justine and Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|June 4, 1999
PubMed

Insights

Pain is a key symptom in childhood Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), often leading to misdiagnosis. Pediatricians should consider GBS in children with lower limb pain and areflexia.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Neurology
  • Clinical Medicine

Background:

  • Acute Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare neurological disorder.
  • Early and accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective management.

Observation:

  • A 15-year review identified 29 children under 6 with acute GBS.
  • Pain was a universal symptom, present on admission in 79% of cases.
  • Back and lower limb pain were most common, affecting 83% of patients.

Findings:

  • Pain was the predominant symptom in most pediatric GBS cases.
  • Misdiagnosis occurred in 69% of patients due to pain's prominence.
  • Delayed diagnosis, exceeding one week, happened in 11 children.

Implications:

  • Pediatricians must include GBS in the differential diagnosis for children presenting with lower limb pain and areflexia.
  • Increased awareness of pain as a primary GBS symptom can improve diagnostic timeliness.
  • Prompt GBS diagnosis can lead to earlier intervention and potentially better outcomes.

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