TABLE 1.
Demographic, clinical and laboratory features of 304 patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and Guillain−Barré syndrome.
| Number of patients | 304 | |
| Gender, male–female | 202 (66.4%)–102 (33.6%) | |
| Age, years, median (IQR) (range) | 54 (39–65), (2–94) | |
| Diagnosis of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection | Nasopharyngeal swab positive | 260 (85.0%) |
| Serology positive | 29 (9.5%) | |
| High resolution chest computed tomography | 5 (1.6%) | |
| Clinical and epidemiological link | 10 (3.3%) | |
| Relationship between SARS‐CoV‐2 and GBS | ||
| First hospitalized for | Not reported | 123 (40.5%) |
| COVID‐19 | 51/181 (28.2%) | |
| GBS | 130/181 (71.8%) | |
| Nasopharyngeal swab at GBS onset | Not reported | 137 (45.1%) |
| Positive | 124/167 (74.3%) | |
| Negative | 43/167 (25.7%) | |
| Asymptomatic SARS‐CoV‐2 infection before GBS | 32 (10.5%) | |
| Time interval between SARS‐CoV‐2 symptoms onset and GBS symptoms onset (available in 261 patients), days, median (IQR), (range) | 14 (7–21), (0–60) | |
| Neurological features | Cranial nerve(s) impairment | 125 (41.1%) |
| Ophthalmoparesis | 35 (11.5%) | |
| Facial nerve palsy | 73 (24.0%) | |
| Bulbar palsy | 32 (10.5%) | |
| Four limbs weakness | 207 (68.1%) | |
| Weakness limited to LLs | 56 (18.4%) | |
| Hypo‐areflexia | 286 (94.1%) | |
| Sensory disturbances | 174 (57.2%) | |
| Ataxia | 53 (17.4%) | |
| Dysautonomia | 41 (13.5%) | |
| Blood pressure disorders and dysrhythmia | 39/41 (95.1%) | |
| Ileus paralyticus | 3/41 (7.3%) | |
| Sphincter disorders | 18/304 (5.9%) | |
| Faecal incontinence | 7/18 (38.9%) | |
| Urinary retention | 16/18 (88.9%) | |
| Urinary incontinence | 7/18 (38.9%) | |
| Hypersomnolence and consciousness disturbances | 9/304 (2.9%) | |
| Clinical classification | Classical GBS | 208/304 (68.4%) |
| Paraparetic | 56/304 (18.4%) | |
| Facial diplegia with/without paraesthesia | 7/304 (2.3%) | |
| Polyneuritis cranialis | 4/304 (1.3%) | |
| Pharyngo‐cervical‐brachial | 3/304 (1.0%) | |
| Miller Fisher syndrome | 20/304 (6.6%) | |
| Acute ataxic neuropathy | 3/304 (1.0%) | |
| Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis | 3/304 (1.0%) | |
| Electrodiagnosis | Not done | 60/304 (19.7%) |
| AIDP | 138/244 (56.6%) | |
| AMAN | 28/244 (11.5%) | |
| AMSAN | 36/244 (14.8%) | |
| Inexcitable | 1/244 (0.4%) | |
| Equivocal | 31/244 (12.7%) | |
| Normal | 2/244 (0.8%) | |
| CSF | Not performed | 59/304 (19.4%) |
| Albumino‐cytological dissociation | 204/245 (83.6%) | |
| Normal | 41/245 (16.7%) | |
| PCR for SARS‐CoV‐2 positive | 2/65 (3.1%) | |
| Brighton criteria | Not applicable | 22 (7.2%) |
| Level 1 | 145/282 (51.4%) | |
| Level 2 | 113/282 (40.1%) | |
| Level 3 | 24/282 (8.5%) | |
| Anti‐ganglioside antibodies | ||
| Patients with reported ganglioside antibodies | 16/91 (17.6%) | |
| Ganglioside antibodies subtype | Total | |
| Anti‐GM1 | 5 | |
| Anti‐GM2 | 3 | |
| Anti‐GM3 | 1 | |
| Anti‐GD1a | 6 | |
| Anti‐GD1b | 3 | |
| Anti‐GQ1b | 5 | |
| Anti‐GT1a | 3 | |
| Anti‐GT1b | 1 | |
| MRI | Not performed | 172/304 (56.6%) |
| Normal/not contributory | 81/132 (61.4%) | |
| Enhancement of cranial nerves, roots/plexus and leptomeninges | 51/132 (38.6%) | |
| Invasive mechanical ventilation | 92/304 (30.3%) | |
| ICU admission | 95/304 (31.3%) | |
| Immunotherapy | Not reported | 16/304 (5.3%) |
| None | 12/288 (4.2%) | |
| IVIG | 214/276 (77.5%) | |
| PLEX | 23/276 (8.3%) | |
| IVIG and PLEX | 22/ 276 (8.0%) | |
| Steroids | 6/276 (2.2%) | |
| Length of hospitalization, days, median (IQR) (range) | 16.5 (11–34.25), (5–156) | |
| In‐hospital death | 22/304 (7.2%) | |
| Time interval from GBS diagnosis to death (reported in 17/21 patients): days, median (IQR) (range) | 4 (2–7.5) (1–50) | |
Abbreviations: AIDP, acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy; AMAN, acute motor axonal neuropathy; AMSAN, acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy; COVID‐19, coronavirus disease 2019; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; GBS, Guillain− Barré syndrome; ICU, intensive care unit; IQR, interquartile range; IVIG, intravenous immunoglobulins; LLs, lower limbs; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; PLEX, plasma exchange; SARS‐CoV‐2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.