Residual disability 10 years after falling ill in Guillain-Barre syndrome: A prospective follow-up study

Objective: To describe residual disability 10 years after onset of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) and longitudinal changes from 2 weeks after onset until 10 years afterwards. The Erasmus GBS Outcome score (EGOS) was applied for predicting prognosis at 2 and 10 years. Methods: Twenty-nine patients, mean age at onset 49 years, were followed prospectively from 2 weeks to 10 years after GBS onset. Measures included; GBS disability score, EGOS, Barthel Index, Frenchay Activity Index, Sickness Impact Profile (SIP), Overall Neuropathy Limitations Scale (ONLS), Walk-12, and Fatigue Severity Scale. Results: At 10 years, the facial paralysis found in 5 participants at 2 years was still present, 11 participants (38%) experienced paresthesia, 6 (21%) had limitations in their arms, and 15 (52%) had limitations in walking. Decreased health-related quality of life on comparison to the general population was seen in the physical dimension of SIP at 10 years. The median EGOS at 2 weeks was 4.5, which correlated highly only with the Barthel Index at 2 years and the ONLS arm scale at 10 years. Conclusion: The residual disabilities at 1-2 years comprised mainly of reduced walking ability, and are still persistent 10 years after GBS onset. For some individuals, facial paralysis caused major disability. The EGOS only partly predicted residual disability at 2 and 10 years after onset. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.