vitamin-b-12 and Guillain-Barre-Syndrome

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Allografts; Chronic Disease; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Graft vs Host Disease; Guillain-Barre Syndrome; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; Humans; Immunologic Factors; Incidence; Male; Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating; Risk Factors; Survival Rate; Thiamine; Vitamin B 12

A retrospective survey has been conducted from january 1979 to january 1999 about the young inpatients file records of the department of neurology of Dakar. 19 cases of Guillain-Barré's syndrome have been collected, representing 2.3% of the children admitted in the department of neurology. The children were 18 months to 16 years old. The sex ratio was 1.4. Infectious disease has been reported in 68.4% of the cases during the 4 weeks preceding the neurological features. The notion of vaccination was found in 5.3% of the cases. The motor deficit was frequent, represented by paraparesis in 63.2% and quadriparesis in 36.8% of the cases. The mean duration of the hospitalisation was 28 days. 52.6% of the patients have completely recovered from their motor deficit and this recovery was unachieved in 36.8%. No fatal event has been detected. The therapeutical means were represented by vitaminotherapy B1B6B12 associated with kinesitherapy. Our results reveal a less severe evolution and better prognosis of Guillain-Barré's syndrome affecting children, instead of the absence of more appropriate means of treatment such as plasma exchange and intravenous immune globulin.

Topics: Adolescent; Age Distribution; Child; Child, Preschool; Disease Progression; Female; Guillain-Barre Syndrome; Hospitals, University; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Length of Stay; Male; Physical Therapy Modalities; Population Surveillance; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Senegal; Sex Distribution; Thiamine; Vitamin B 12; Vitamin B 6