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Guillain-Barre syndrome

Other Names for this Disease
  • Acute autoimmune peripheral neuropathy
  • Acute immune-mediated polyneuropathy
  • Acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
  • Acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy
  • Acute inflammatory neuropathy
More Names
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Overview


Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. Symptoms of this disorder include muscle weakness, numbness, and tingling sensations, which can increase in intensity until the muscles cannot be used at all. Usually Guillain-Barre syndrome occurs a few days or weeks after a person has had symptoms of a viral infection. Occasionally, surgery or vaccinations will trigger the syndrome. It remains unclear why only some people develop Guillain-Barre syndrome. Most patients recover completely, although some continue to have some degree of weakness.[1]

References

  1. Guillain-Barré Syndrome Fact Sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Web site. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/gbs/detail_gbs.htm. Accessed November 2, 2009.
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General Information

  • Genetics Home Reference (GHR) contains information on Guillain-Barre syndrome. Click on the link to go to GHR and review the information.
  • MedlinePlus, a Web site designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, provides more information about this topic. Click on the link to view this information.
  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. Click on the link to view this information. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
  • The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library provides information on this condition. Click on the link to view the information.
  • The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) collects and disseminates research information related to neurological disorders. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
  • The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is a federation of more than 130 nonprofit voluntary health organizations serving people with rare disorders. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs.  Access to this database is free of charge.  Click on the link to read information on this topic.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Guillain-Barre syndrome. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.
  • The The Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database contains genetics resources that discuss Guillain-Barre syndrome. Click on the link to go to OMIM and review these resources.