Guillain-barre Syndrome in Indian Population: A Retrospective Study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Epidemiology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a rare autoimmune disorder affecting the peripheral nervous system.
• Understanding the specific clinical characteristics and subtypes of GBS in diverse populations is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical features of various Guillain-Barre syndrome subtypes in Indian adults.
• To identify epidemiological and clinical patterns specific to the Indian population.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of epidemiological, clinical, cerebrospinal fluid, and electrophysiological data from 65 GBS patients.
• Subclassification of GBS based on clinical and electrophysiological findings.

Main Results:

• High incidence of GBS observed in young adults (18-29 years) with seasonal peaks in winter and summer.
• Common symptoms included motor weakness, areflexia, and facial weakness; 80% showed albuminocytological dissociation.
• Subtypes identified: acute demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (26.15%), axonal form (26.15%), Fisher's syndrome (3.07%), and ataxic variant (1.53%).
• Recurrent GBS occurred in 13.8% of cases; 7.7% required mechanical ventilation.
• All patients with available follow-up (47) showed satisfactory recovery, with no persistent disability or mortality.

Conclusions:

• GBS in Northwest India exhibits distinct age and seasonal distributions.
• Both acute demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy and axonal subtypes are frequent and share common clinical features.
• GBS subtypes in this cohort demonstrated a good prognosis with satisfactory recovery.