Table 1.
Clinical characteristics of published data of patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome and brucellosis.
| First Author | Brucella Culture | MRI Findings | NCS and EMG Findings | Treatment | Prognosis | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brucellosis | GBS | |||||
| Desai [8] | B. abortus | NA | NA | DOXY, Streptomycin and TMP/SMX | NA | Complete recovery, after 3 months |
| Bahemuka Case # 8 [9] |
NA | NA | EMG showed denervation and NCS was normal | RIF and DOXY | NA | Walk with Zimmer frame after 6 weeks |
| Garcia [10] (3 cases) from abstract and Daoud et al. |
NA | NA | 1 case: Pure M axonal PRN 2 cases: M DEM PRN in the remaining 2 patients |
RIF and DOXY (4) | PLEX (4) | Unfavorable outcome in one case of axonal GBS (died), partial recovery in the remaining 2 cases of DEM GBS |
| Al-Eissa [11] | NA | NA | DEM PRN | RIF, DOXY, Streptomycin and TMP/SMX | NA | Completely cured during a 1 year follow up |
| Hidir [12] | B. melitensis | Selective enhancement of ventral lumbosacral nerve roots and cauda equina | DEM PRN with secondary axonal loss | RIF, DOXY, and CFXN | NA | Complete recovery and able to walk unaided after 6 months |
| Namiduru [13] from abstract and Daoud et al. |
B. melitensis | NA | NA | RIF and TMP/SMX | PLEX (4) | Complete recovery within 1 month |
| Goktepe [14] | B. melitensis | Thickening of the spinal nerve roots and diffuse enhancement along the distal cord and cauda equina | Pure motor PRN with normal sensory NCS | RIF, DOXY, and CFXN | PLEX and IVIG | Able to walk with minimal help after 3 months |
| Haghighi [15] | NA | Unremarkable | Acute M-S axonal PRN | RIF, DOXY, and CFXN | PLEX and IVIG | Full strength after 1 year |
| Gul [16] Case # 8 |
B. melitensis | Contrast enhancement of lumbar roots | PRN (axonal degeneration) | RIF, DOXY, and CFXN | NA | Barely able to walk unassisted after 6 months. |
| Shoja [17] | NA | NA | Symmetrical distal axonal S-M PN | RIF and DOXY | N/A “MP 1 g/day for suspected systemic vasculitis” |
Weakness resolved after 1 month |
| Montalvo [18] From abstract |
NA | NA | Pure M PRN with axonal pattern | RIF and DOXY | PLEX | Complete recovery after 3 months |
| Aygul [19] |
B. melitensis (from bone marrow) |
Unremarkable | Acute DEM PRN | RIF, DOXY, Streptomycin and TMP/SMX | IVIG | Able to walk unaided after 3 months aside from mild facial diplegia |
| Babamahmood [20] | NA | Unremarkable | DEM PN | RIF, DOXY, Gentamycin, Streptomycin and TMP/SMX | IVIG | Able to walk normally after 4 weeks |
| Elzein [21] | NA | NA | DEM S-M PN | RIF, DOXY and Streptomycin | IVIG | Able to mobilize after 3 weeks |
| Daoud [4] | NA | NA | DEM PRN | RIF and DOXY | PLEX | Partial recovery, and able to walk unaided after 4 weeks |
| Paydarnia [22] | NA | Mild enhancement of thoracic region | Generalized axonal PN | RIF, DOXY and Ciprofloxacin | PLEX | Walking normally after 6 months |
CFXN: ceftriaxone, DEM: demyelinating, DOXY: doxycycline, IVIG: intravenous immunoglobulin, M: motor, MP: methylprednisolone, NA: not available, PLEX: plasma exchange, PN: polyneuropathy, PRN: polyradiculoneuropathy, RIF: rifampicin, S: sensory.