Relapses in the Guillain-Barré syndrome after treatment with intravenous immune globulin or plasma exchange

• Published in: Muscle & nerve Vol. 21; no. 10; pp. 1327 - 1330
• Main Authors: Romano, J.G., Rotta, F.T., Potter, P., Rosenfeld, V., Santibanez, R., Rocha, B., Bradley, W.G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.10.1998; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Guillain-Barré syndrome; Humans; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous - therapeutic use; intravenous immune globulin; Male; Medical Records; Medical sciences; Multiple sclerosis and variants. Guillain barré syndrome and other inflammatory polyneuropathies. Leukoencephalitis; Neurology; Plasma Exchange; Polyradiculoneuropathy - therapy; Recurrence; relapses; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Time Factors; Human; Plasma exchange; Nervous system diseases; Immunoglobulins; Relapse; Treatment; Intravenous administration; Peripheral nerve disease; Guillain Barré syndrome; Inflammatory disease
• ISSN: 0148-639X; 1097-4598
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-4598(199810)21:10<1327::AID-MUS14>3.0.CO;2-Z

To clarify the question of whether Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) patients treated with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) relapse at a higher frequency than those treated with plasma exchange (PE), 54 patients with GBS were studied retrospectively. A higher frequency of relapses was noted in the PE‐treated patients than in those receiving IVIG. The presence of an associated medical condition correlated with an increased risk of relapses, while earlier onset of treatment resulted in a decrease of relapses of GBS. This study found no support for prior suggestions of increased relapses in patients with GBS treated with IVIG as opposed to those treated with PE. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 21:1327–1330, 1998.