Electrophysiologic Findings in Pediatric Guillain Barre Syndrome

Abstract

Objective: To describe electrophysiologic findings in the pediatric GuillianBarre syndrome (GBS).

Study design: Comparative prospective study.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Neurology, The Children’s Hospital and Institute of Child Health, Lahore
Pakistan, from Jun to Dec 2015.

Methodology: Children below 18 years of age, presenting in medical emergency/neurology OPD and fulfilling the clinical
case definition of GBS were included for the study. Electrophysiologic studies were performed within 24 hours of admission
in all patients.

Results: Out of 83 patients with GBS, 59% were male and 80% were between 3-12 years of age. According to the
electrophysiological findings, acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP) was the most common
subtype followed by acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN). Reduced CMAP and absent F-response were the most common
electrophysiologic findingspresented in 70% and 57.8% of patients respectively. However, absent F-response was not specific
for any subtype (p>0.05). Prolonged motor DL, reduced NCV, temporal dispersion and abnormal F-wave latency were
characteristicelectrophysiologic features of demyelination (p≤0.001). However, prolonged motor DL and absent F-wave
occurred early in the course of disease while reduced NCV and temporal dispersion observed later.

Conclusion: Electrophysiologic studieswere useful in making the appropriate diagnosis to initiate immunotherapy,
particularly during first week after onset of weakness when albuminocytologic dissociation may not be present.