Summary

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a neurological disorder based on the demyelination of nerve fibers. In this process, the nerve cells lose their insulating layer, comparable to a power cable, which causes the nerve cell to lose its function to transmit information. The cause is not completely understood.

An autoimmune reaction and neuroallergic reactions to previous infections are discussed. In principle, Guillain-Barré syndrome can occur at any age, but especially around the age of 25 and 60. Typically, the disease begins 2-4 weeks after an infection of the upper airways or gastrointestinal tract.

The first symptoms are back pain, numbness and sensations in the feet. Then follows a mostly symmetrical motor weakness of the legs, muscle pain, gait and standing difficulties. The paralysis rising from below can lead to respiratory paralysis and cardiac arrest, so that ventilation and a pacemaker may become necessary.

The diagnosis is made by an intensive interview, a physical- neurological examination and a puncture of cerebrospinal fluid (liquor diagnostics). The therapy is performed symptomatically under intensive medical monitoring. Favorable courses of treatment predominate. Older patients and patients with a long ventilation period (longer than 1 month) have a worse prognosis. Up to 4% of patients suffer a relapse after months or years and fall ill again.

Cause

The cause of Guillain-Barré syndrome has not been definitively clarified.An autoimmune reaction seems to take place, i.e. the body’s own immune system attacks the body’s own tissue. In Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), microscopic examination of tissue samples reveals inflammation and infiltration of certain immune cells (including macrophages) in the medullary sheaths of the nerves.

Dendrites
Cell Body
Axon with myelin sheath that are attacked during GBS
Cell nucleus More information about the structure of a nerve cell under our topic: Nerve cell

This results in a breakdown of the myelin sheath from the anterior and posterior roots of the spinal cord (polyradiculitis) and the associated peripheral nerves (polyneuritis), which are responsible for muscle and sensitivity.