Acute polyradiculoneuritis syndrome: clinical observations and differential diagnosis

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and neuroborreliosis may clinically manifest with symptoms related to acute polyradiculoneuritis. The aim and purpose of this study was analysis of clinical picture in patients with acute polyradiculoneuritis and their differential diagnosis into patients with GBS or meningoradiculoneuritis within the framework of neuroborreliosis. In this retrospective study, medical records of patients with acute polyradiculoneuritis hospitalized at University Department of Neurology, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center during a 4-year period were analyzed. The study included data on 27 patients. Definitive diagnosis ofGBS was made in 23 patients and of neuroborreliosis in four (14.8%) patients. Acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy was recorded in 69% of GBS patients, Miller Fisher syndrome in four patients, and acute motor axonal neuropathy and/or acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy in three patients. Clinically, patients with neuroborreliosis manifested flaccid tetraparesis, peripheral facial nerve paresis, bulbar paresis, ocular motility disorders, and sensory symptoms of radicular pain and paresthesias. Considering the relatively high prevalence of neuroborreliosis in north-west Croatia, it is important to exclude meningoradiculoneuritis caused by Borrelia burgdorferi on differential diagnosis of GBS in these patients.