Guillain-Barre syndrome, acute ideopata polyneuritis, or infectious polyneuritis Acute inflammatory polyneuropathy

Guillain Barre Syndrome is a rare neurological disease that belongs to a large group of peripheral neuropathy that is characterized by autoimmune damage to the

peripheral nervous system. The disease is acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy actually triggered by an acute infectious process. Lesions due to the patient's immune system response to infection triggers. Guillain Barre Syndrome atoniei determines the final appearance of muscle, disappearance of reflexes, loss of ability to discriminate tactile stimuli, thermal, painful, the appearance of localized paresthesias in the arms, face, legs up to parezelor development and even paralysis.
Syndrome is the most common causes of paralysis with rapid evolution (days-weeks). About 2 people per 100,000 develop this syndrome within one year. There are no racial or gender predisposition, women and men have the same chances of developing the disease. A study by Swedish experts show that the incidence is lower during pregnancy, but increases rapidly in the months after she gave birth. The disease can occur at any age, even childhood, but it seems to have two peaks of incidence: in the teenage and young adult (15-35 years) and old age (50-75 years).
Although it can be fatal, many patients recover almost completely after a proper treatment. Over 85% regain motor and sensory function in 6-12 months, the maximum being 18 months. However, approximately 7-15% of patients left with a neurological deficit (sensory ataxia, disestezii). Mortality rate approaching 5%, mainly due to respiratory complications (respiratory failure), sepsis, pneumonia, lung and finally trombemboliei cardiopulmonary arrest. The disease has a tendency to recurrence.

What are the causes?
The exact cause of Guillain-Bare syndrome remains unknown. It seems that the component is an autoimmune disease (in these cases the patient is characterized by an overactive immune: to make antibodies against self structures, fit body, but which are perceived as such by the system but are considered protective antigens that he must destroy them). Guillain Barre syndrome occurs due to triggering of humoral and cell mediated immune responses, occurring as a result of infectious processes. The disease is preceded by a bacterial or viral infection (approximately 40% of patients were found positive by serological tests for infection with Campylobacter jejuni). As the body produces antibodies to fight these infections, and autoantibodies are produced. Their targets in Guillain Barre syndrome gangliozidele are complex substances that are present in large amounts in nervous tissue, in polling in Ranvier nodes. Appears as a lymphocytic infiltration and macrophage-mediated demyelination, with damage to peripheral nerves, resulting in a short time the pain in arms or legs, clumsiness. As muscle function degrades, the patient required respiratory assistance.
Typical symptoms include:
- Muscle weakness even after three years. In rare cases have been reported and relapses after many years.
Guillain-Barre syndrome patients face not only physical problems but also emotional because it is very hard to get used to his dependence that required paralysis, needing counseling.
What are the complications?
Long-term complications are caused by paralysis. The most common complications are:
- Hypertension / hypotension
- Thromboembolic pulmonary pneumonia
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Urinary retention
- Intestinal ileus
- Aspiration of vomit fluid
- Nephropathy (especially in young patients)
- Psychiatric disorders (anxiety or depression).