Comparison of ulnar, median, and sural sensory nerve conduction studies between demyelinating and axonal forms of Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Abstract

Background: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an important neurological disease that can cause disability. Axonal GBS and acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP) are two important subgroups.
 Methods: Patients with clinical and electrodiagnostic features compatible with GBS were included in this retrospective study. The patients were divided into two groups neurophysiologically as Axonal GBS and AIDP. Medical research council (MRC) scores of the patients' muscles, median / ulnar / posterior tibial / peroneal / sural nerve conduction study findings were included in the analyses. Sural sparing pattern was considered as the absence of median/ulnar compound nerve action potential (CNAP) and present sural nerve CNAP (SS-M/SS-U).
 Results: Twelve AIDP and 10 Axonal GBS patients were included in the study. MRC scores were not different between the two groups (p=0.895). CNAPs of the right median and ulnar nerves were smaller in AIDP patients than in Axonal GBS patients (p