[Guillain-Barre syndrome: a study of 13 children]

A group of 13 children, aged 2 to 14 years, and diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome has been analyzed. Clinical features and outcome were retrospectively studied. In 75% of the patients there was an infectious illness previous to the neurologic symptoms and in four children the etiologic agent was demonstrated. Motor deficits affecting the limbs and muscle stretch reflexes were absent in all thirteen patients. Cranial nerve involvement showed-up in 46%. Meningitic symptoms occurred in 62% of the cases. One of the children developed the Fisher syndrome variant. Two patients required assisted ventilation. Three children showed associated immunologic abnormalities, with one of the patients having a selective IgA deficiency, another child showing an increment in IgE and the other Kawasaki syndrome. We have not demonstrated differences in the outcome between the patients with corticoid treatment.