GBS features | All (n = 204) | Italy (n = 80) | UK (n = 41) | USA (n = 30) | Spain (n = 25) | Iran (n = 16) | India (n = 12) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Demographics | |||||||
Age (years), median (IQR) | 57 (48–65) | 62 (55–72) | 57 (43–60.75) | 55 (48–67) | 54.5 (51.75–64.75) | 46.5 (37.75–65) | 48.5 (33–55) |
Male: female ratio | 144/60 (2.4) | 57/23 (2.5) | 36/5 (7.2) | 20/10 (2) | 14/11 (1.3) | 9/7 (1.3) | 8/4 (2) |
Clinical features | |||||||
The interval from onset of COVID symptoms to neurological symptoms (days), median (IQR) | 13.5 (7–20) | 13.5 (10–20) | 13 (6.5–20.25) | 17.5 (9.5–41.5) | 11 (6.25–15.75) | 14 (9.5–21) | 7.5 (5–10) |
Limb weakness (%) | 166/192 (86) | 66/80 (83) | 38/41 (93) | 26/30 (87) | 8/13 (62) | 14/16 (88) | 12/12 (100) |
Sensory disturbances (%) | 87/143 (61) | 15/33 (46) | 29/41 (71) | 19/30 (63) | 8/14 (57) | 11/16 (69) | 5/12 (42) |
Cranial nerve involvement (%) | 102/185 (55) | 51/80 (64) | 19/41 (46) | 12/30 (40) | 9/14(64) | 7/16(44) | 4/12(33) |
Ophthalmoplegia | 18/158 (11) | 8/80 (10) | 2/15 (13) | 6/30 (20) | 2/14 (14) | 0/16 (0) | 0/12 (0) |
Facial weakness | 67/159 (42) | 36/80 (45) | 6/15 (40) | 8/30 (27) | 7/14 (50) | 6/16 (37.5) | 3/12 (25) |
Bulbar weakness | 45/161 (28) | 17/80 (21) | 8/15 (53) | 8/30 (27) | 6/14 (43) | 4/16 (25) | 3/12 (25) |
Other | 30/161 (19) | 19/80 (24) | 2/15 (13) | 6/30 (20) | 2/14 (14) | 0/16 (0) | 1/12 (8) |
Autonomic dysfunction (%) | 35/137 (25) | 12/63 (19) | 6/16 (38) | 10/30 (33) | 1/14 (7) | 5/16 (31) | 3/12 (25) |
Areflexia or Hyporeflexia (%) | 142/148 (96) | 60/63 (95) | 15/16 (94) | 27/30 (90) | 13/14 (93) | 16/16 (100) | 11/12 (92) |
Ventilator dependency (%) | 56/170 (33) | 21/63 (33) | 13/41 (32) | 10/30 (33) | 4/14 (29) | 6/16 (37.5) | 2/12 (17) |
GBS subtypes (%) | |||||||
AIDP | 91/150 (61) | 51/78 (65) | 17/21 (81) | 5/16 (31) | 6/12 (50) | 7/12 (58) | 5/11 (45) |
AMAN | 16/150 (11) | 8/78 (10) | 1/21 (5) | 1/16 (6) | 0/12 (0) | 3/12 (25) | 3/11 (27) |
AMSAN | 13/150 (9) | 4/78 (5) | 1/21 (5) | 3/16 (19) | 1/12 (8) | 2/12 (17) | 2/11 (18) |
Miller Fisher syndrome | 19/150 (13) | 8/78 (10) | 2/21 (9) | 6/16 (38) | 3/12 (25) | 0/12 (0) | 0/11 (0) |
Other | 11/150 (7) | 7/78 (9) | 0/21 (0) | 1/16 (6) | 2/12 (17) | 0/12 (0) | 1/11 (9) |
Nerve conduction studies (%) | |||||||
Demyelination | 95/157 (61) | 54/76 (71) | 17/36 (47) | 6/10 (60) | 7/10 (70) | 6/13 (46) | 5/12 (42) |
Axonal damage | 32/157 (20) | 14/76 (18) | 3/36 (8) | 4/10 (40) | 1/10 (10) | 5/13 (38) | 5/12 (42) |
Mixed demyelination and axonal damage | 30/157 (19) | 8/76 (10) | 16/36 (44) | 0/10 (0) | 2/10 (20) | 2/13 (15) | 2/12 (17) |
Laboratory tests (%) | |||||||
CSF albumin-cytological dissociation | 93/134 (70) | 27/51 (53) | 11/14 (79) | 20/24 (83) | 15/23 (65) | 10/11 (91) | 10/11 (91) |
Anti-ganglioside antibodies in serum or CSF | 8/65 (12) | 2/28 (7) | 0/4 (0) | 4/15 (27) | 2/10 (20) | 0/1 (0) | 0/7 (0) |
Treatments (%) | |||||||
IVIG | 155/175 (89) | 70/75 (93) | 32/32 (100) | 22/30 (73) | 11/12 (92) | 10/15 (67) | 10/11 (91) |
Plasma exchange | 24/175 (14) | 7/75 (9) | 1/32 (3) | 11/30 (37) | 0/12 (0) | 4/15 (27) | 1/11 (9) |
Corticosteroids | 9/175 (5) | 4/75 (5) | 0/32 (0) | 3/30 (10) | 1/12 (8) | 1/15 (7) | 0/11 (0) |
Outcomes (%) | |||||||
Recovery^ | 150/193 (78) | 63/80 (79) | 32/41 (78) | 24/30 (80) | 10/14 (71) | 11/16 (69) | 10/12 (83) |
Residual problems# | 33/193 (17) | 15/80 (19) | 8/41 (20) | 4/30 (13) | 3/14 (21) | 2/16 (12.5) | 1/12 (8) |
Mortality | 10/193 (5) | 2/80 (2.5) | 1/41 (2.4) | 2/27 (7) | 1/14 (7) | 3/16 (19) | 1/12 (8) |