Clinical Phenotypes in Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Abstract

Guillain-Barré syndrome can be classified into several phenotypes according to the type of predominantly disturbed nerve fibers, distribution of muscular weakness, and electrophysiological and pathological findings. Although several regional variants including Fisher syndrome and pharyngeal-cervical-brachial weakness were initially reported in Western researchers, many labor-intensive studies by Japanese researchers have significantly contributed to defining and highlighting these variants. This review summarizes the several regional variants of Guillain-Barré syndrome while highlighting the substantial contributions made by Japanese investigators. Furthermore, a new regional variant named "distal limb weakness" is proposed, in which regional weakness of hands and feet is observed throughout the disease course. It is considered a mild phenotype of acute axonal motor neuropathy after Campylobacter jejuni enteritis.