Open AccessFamilial Guillain-Barré syndrome: First Indian report
Author(s) -
Karkal Ravishankar Naik,
Aralikatte Onkarappa Saroja,
Basangouda P Patil
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
annals of indian academy of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.427
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1998-3549
pISSN - 0972-2327
DOI - 10.4103/0972-2327.93278
Subject(s) - medicine , guillain barre syndrome , epidemiology , acute motor axonal neuropathy , pediatrics , immunology , pathology
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is the commonest acute immune-mediated peripheral neuropathy. Specific human leukocyte antigen types have been found in patients with axonal and demyelinating subtypes of GBS suggesting genetic susceptibility in the generation of GBS. However, familial occurrence of GBS is rare and 42 patients from 20 families have been reported. Majority of them are from European countries and two families have been documented from Asian countries, while none have been reported from India. Electrophysiological characterization in familial GBS has been limited. We report the clinical and detailed electrophysiological findings in two affected brothers with familial GBS from India who had GBS five years apart. Both of them had mixed axonal and demyelinating features in nerve conductions and had complete clinical recovery. Our report documents the first Indian familial occurrence of GBS. Detailed genetic and epidemiological studies are required to find the true prevalence of familial GBS.