PAIN IN THE GUILLAIN-BARRE-SYNDROME - A CLINICAL REVIEW

The Guillain-Barre syndrome, or acute inflammatory polyneuropathy, is often regarded as a predominantly motor neuropathy with few sensory fe atures, which has a good prognosis in most cases. However, pain is a c ommon symptom occurring in up to 72% of cases. The types of pain are p rotean including paraesthesiae, dysaesthesia, axial and radicular pain , meningism, myalgia, joint pain and visceral discomfort, etc., and pa tients may present in a variety of clinical settings such as intensive care units, acute medical wards or rehabilitation departments. These factors, combined with the fact that the condition is relatively uncom mon, means that no controlled trial of pain management has been done a nd a range of treatments has been proposed. We review the various pain s which may be associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome and discuss sug gestions for their management.