NEUROLOGY Flashcards
An acute, frequently severe, and fulminant polyradiculoneuropathy that is autoimmune in nature
GBS
Manifests as a rapidly evolving areflexic motor paralysis with or without sensory disturbance.
GBS
Usual pattern of paralysis in GBS
ascending paralysis that may be first noticed as rubbery legs
legs > arms
facial diparesis – 50%
bulbar weakness
T or F. Fever and constitutional symptoms are usually present at the onset of GBS
False. Fever and constitutional symptoms are absent at the onset and, if present, cast doubt on the diagnosis
T or F. Bladder dysfunction is a usual presentation of GBS
False. Bladder dysfunction may occur in severe cases but is usually transient. If bladder dysfunction is a prominent feature and comes early in the course or there is a sensory level on examination, diagnostic possibilities other than GBS should be considered, particularly spinal cord disease
T or F. Autonomic involvement is common in GBS
True. The usual manifestations are loss of vasomotor control with wide fluctuations in blood pressure, postural hypotension, and cardiac dysrhythmias
Description of pain in GBS
Deep aching pain may be present in weakened muscles that patients liken to having overexercised the previous day
The most common variant of GBS
acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP)
2 axonal variants of GBS that are often clinically severe
Acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN)
Acute motor sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN)
GBS variant which presents as rapidly evolving ataxia and areflexia of limbs without weakness, and ophthalmoplegia, often with pupillary paralysis.
Miller Fisher syndrome
accounts for ~5% of all cases
MFS is strongly associated with antibodies to the
ganglioside GQ1b
found in >90% of patients with MFS
Approximately ____ of cases of GBS occur 1–3 weeks after an acute infectious process, usually respiratory or gastrointestinal.
70%
T or F. Some vaccines may increase the risk of GBS.
True. The swine influenza vaccine, administered widely in the United States in 1976, is the most notable example
Aside from prior infection and vaccinations, risk of GBS is also increased in these group of patients (3)
- lymphoma (including Hodgkin’s disease)
- HIV-seropositive individuals
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
These antibodies are common in GBS (20–50% of cases), particularly in AMAN and AMSAN and in those cases preceded by C. jejuni infection
Antiganglioside antibodies, most frequently to GM1
In the demyelinating forms of GBS, the basis for flaccid paralysis and sensory disturbance is
conduction block
axonal connections remain intact
______ after the first motor symptoms, it is not known whether immunotherapy is still effective for GBS
~2 weeks
If the patient has already reached the plateau stage, then treatment probably is no longer indicated, unless the patient has severe motor weakness and one cannot exclude the possibility that an immunologic attack is still ongoing
Management of GBS (2)
High dose IVIg
Plasmapheresis
Equally effective
Dose of IVIg in GBS
five daily infusions for a total dose of 2 g/kg body weight
Dose of plasmapheresis in GBS
~40–50 mL/kg PE 4–5 times over 7–10 days
T or F. Glucocorticoids is used as treatment in GBS.
False. Glucocorticoids have not been found to be effective in GBS .
Approximately ____ of patients with GBS achieve a full functional recovery within several months to a year, although minor findings on examination (such as areflexia) may persist and patients often complain of continued symptoms, including fatigue
85%
Mortality rate of GBS in an optimal setting
< 5%
T or F. CIDP responds to glucocorticoids
True