Paralysis and Guillain-Barre Syndrome

A young boy complained of leg pain before becoming paralysed a few days later due to the autoimmune disorder, Guillian-Barre Syndrome. Guillian-Barre Syndrome can affect any age group, usually following a viral illness of the respiratory or gastrointestinal systems where the immune system is sensitized to the body's peripheral nerves. Autoantibodies are produced against the myelin sheath that surrounds the nerves, causing its destruction and slowing of nerve impulses. These sheaths regrow at a speed of a millimetre and day. Other symptoms can include paraesthesia, weakness, pain and loss of function of the limbs that normally starts at the feet and moves up to involve the whole body. Diagnosis is primarily through taking a medical history and examination. Early treatment is recommended with intravenous immunoglobulins to absorb the body's autoimmune antibodies. Ongoing management is with rehabilitation to recover the patients' ability and confidence to walk. Half of Guillain-Barre syndrome sufferers have retained disability due to permanent nerve sheath destruction.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by Pallidium Item

Related Disease Topics:

• Guillian-Barre Syndrome
• Respiratory viral illness
• Gastrointestinal viral illness
• Viral illness
• Autoimmune disorder

Related Symptom Topics:

• Paraesthesia
• Weakness
• Pain
• Loss of function
• Limb paraesthesia
• Limb weakness
• Limb pain
• Limb loss of function
• Paralysis

Article Source Details

About: Paralysis and Guillain-Barre Syndrome

Date: 3 July 2005

Source: Pallidium Item

Author: Rachel Sheeley

URL: http://www.pal-item.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050703/NEWS13/507030331/1007

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Cause of Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Cause of muscle weakness
• Cause of weakness
• Cause of limb weakness
• Cause of limb paraesthesia
• Cause of paraesthesia
• Cause of limb pain
• Cause of pain
• Cause of limb loss of function
• Cause of loss of function
• Cause of autoimmune disorder
• Cause of paralysis
• Cause of nerve damage
• Cause of disability
• Risk and viral illness
• Risk and respiratory illness
• Risk and respiratory virus
• Risk and gastrointestinal virus
• Risk and gastrointestinal illness
• Risk and gastroenteritis
• Risk and URTI
• Risk and autoantibodies
• Risk and Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Risk and disability
• Risk and paralysis
• Diagnosis and Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Diagnosis and muscle weakness
• Diagnosis and weakness
• Diagnosis and limb weakness
• Diagnosis and limb paraesthesia
• Diagnosis and paraesthesia
• Diagnosis and limb pain
• Diagnosis and pain
• Diagnosis and limb loss of function
• Diagnosis and loss of function
• Diagnosis and autoimmune disorder
• Diagnosis and paralysis
• Diagnosis and nerve damage
• Diagnosis and disability
• Diagnosis and viral illness
• Diagnosis and respiratory illness
• Diagnosis and respiratory virus
• Diagnosis and gastrointestinal virus
• Diagnosis and gastrointestinal illness
• Diagnosis and gastroenteritis
• Diagnosis and URTI
• Misdiagnosis and Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Misdiagnosis and autoimmune disorder
• Misdiagnosis and paralysis
• Misdiagnosis and paraesthesia
• Misdiagnosis and weakness
• Misdiagnosis and pain
• Misdiagnosis and ascending paralysis
• Misdiagnosis and loss of function

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