Senegalese Experience of Acute Polyradiculoneuritis: Cross-Sectional Study Over 7 Years at the Department of Neurology in Fann Teaching Hospital

Introduction: Acute PRNs are a group of inflammatory conditions of the peripheral nerves of which GBS is the most typical. The objective of this work is to determine the epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical, etiological and therapeutic aspects of acute PRNs.

Methodology: We conducted a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2020 based on 34 cases recruited at the I.P Ndiaye neuroscience clinic of Fann teaching hospital in Dakar.

Results: The hospital prevalence was 0.52%. The average age was 39.4 years, there was no gender difference. A prodromal event preceded the onset of neurological signs in 58.8% of patients, it was an infectious event in 44.1% of patients. At the clinical level, the symptomatology was typical, i.e, a bilateral, symmetrical extensive motor deficit with an upward progression in less than 4 weeks, with abolition of ROT. The ENMG confirmed the diagnosis of acute PRN in all our patients, the majority of whom were demyelinating (58.8%). Lumbar puncture showed albuminocytological dissociation in 76.5% of patients. All patients received symptomatic treatment, and specific treatment consisted of immunoglobulins in 8.8% of patients and corticosteroid therapy in 47% of patients. The course was favourable in 64.7% of patients but was fatal in 1 patient (2.9%).

Conclusion: GBS is an uncommon neuropathy whose early diagnosis is based mainly on clinical and EMG conditions the prognosis of patients.

Keywords:Polyradiculoneuritis; Guillain-barre; Fann teaching hospital