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You are here : AllRefer.com > Health > Diseases & Conditions > Guillain-Barre Syndrome

Guillain-Barre Syndrome

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Definition

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Alternate Names : Acute Idiopathic Polyneuritis, Acute Inflammatory Polyneuropathy, Infectious Polyneuritis, Landry-Guillain-Barre Syndrome


Definition

Guillain-Barre syndrome is a disorder caused by nerve inflammation involving progressive muscle weakness or paralysis, which often follows an infectious illness.

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Superficial Anterior Muscles
Superficial Anterior Muscles

 
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Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors

Guillain-Barre syndrome is an acute type of nerve inflammation. The inflammation damages portions of the nerve cell, resulting in muscle weakness or paralysis and sensory loss. The damage usually includes loss of the myelin sheath of the nerve (demyelination), which slows the conduction of impulses through the nerve.

The damage can also cause denervation (kill the axon part of the nerve cell), which stops nerve function entirely. Without the axon, messages cannot be transferred from one nerve cell to another.

The exact cause of this disorder is unknown. It may occur at any age but is most common in people of both sexes between the ages 30 and 50. It often follows a minor infection, usually a respiratory (lung) infection or gastrointestinal (gut) infection. Signs of the original infection have usually disappeared before the signs of Guillain-Barre begin.


Guillain-Barre syndrome may occur in association with viral infections like mononucleosis, AIDS, and herpes simplex or after infections with bacteria, such as mycoplasma and some types of diarrhea. Sometimes Guillain-Barre occurs after recent surgery or vaccinations (such as rabies and swine flu vaccines) or in association with other medical problems such as systemic lupus erythematosus or Hodgkin's disease.



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Definition
Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
Symptoms & Signs
Diagnosis & Tests
Treatment
Prognosis
Complications
Support Groups
Calling Your Health Care Provider
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Diseases & Conditions

AIDS
Central Pontine Myelinolysis
Deep Venous Thrombosis
Herpes Simplex
Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Pneumonia
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Tests & Exams

CSF Cell Count
ECG
Electromyography
Nerve Conduction Velocity
WBC Count

Other Topics

Acute
Antibody
Aspiration
Breathing - Slowed or Stopped
Breathing Difficulty
Contracture Deformity
Drooling
Fainting
Heartbeat Sensations
Heimlich Maneuver
Intravenous
Movement - Uncoordinated
Muscle Aches
Muscle Cramps
Muscle Function Loss
Myelin
Numbness and Tingling
Protein in Diet
Respiratory
Swallowing Difficulty
Vision Problems
Weakness

Review Date : 7/17/2002
Reviewed By : Joseph V. Campellone, M.D., Division of Neurology, Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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