[Features of Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults: results of a university hospital].

BACKGROUND: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) has a cosmopolitan distribution. Its course is usually mild and tends to limit itself, but in severe cases it can cause death. The aim of this article is to describe the characteristics of a group of adults with GBS diagnosed and treated at a university hospital.

METHODS: All cases of GBS that occurred between January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2009 were analyzed. The clinical records were reviewed through the implementation of a structured survey that included the following sections: patient identification, clinical data, history of infection, season of occurrence, rates of electrophysiological variants, and lethality.

RESULTS: A total of 45 patients were included; the male to female ratio was 1.4: 1 and the mean age was 48.2 ± 16.0 years. The season with the highest number of cases was the summer. History of intestinal infection was present in 40 % of patients, and respiratory infection in 24.4%. The lethality associated with GBS was 11.1 % (95 % CI, 4.4-23.9), fatal cases occurred in patients older than the survivors (65.2 ± 15.0 versus 46.0 ± 14.9, p = 0.01). The most common variant was acute motor axonal neuropathy (64.4 %); there were four cases of Miller Fisher syndrome.

CONCLUSIONS: The most common electromyographic variant of GBS was acute motor axonal neuropathy. The highest number of cases was observed during the summer season.