Guillain-Barré syndrome in Bangladesh: validation of Brighton criteria

Guillain-Barré syndrome has a diverse clinical phenotype related to geographical origin. To date, the majority of large-scale studies on Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) have been conducted in developed countries. We aimed to evaluate the key diagnostic features and assess the suitability of the Brighton criteria in 344 adult GBS patients from Bangladesh. All patients fulfilled the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS) diagnostic criteria. Standardized data on demographic characteristics and clinical features, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, and nerve conduction study (NCS) results were elaborated to measure the sensitivity of Brighton criteria. Most patients (88%) were admitted to hospital after the nadir weakness. Symmetrical weakness and reduced reflexes were found in 98% of patients. CSF albuminocytologic dissociation was detected in 238/269 (89%) cases and abnormal nerve physiology in 258/259 (>99%) cases. Only 27 (8%) patients received either intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) or plasmapheresis. In total, 200 (58%) patients met level 1 of the Brighton criteria; 97 (28%) patients met level 2; 42 (12%) patients met level 3; and 5 (2%) patients met level 4. This analysis showed that despite the heterogeneity of GBS in Bangladesh, the Brighton criteria showed a high sensitivity in the diagnosis of GBS.

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