Does the normal CSF exclude GBS?
Category:
medical health
brain and nervous system disorders
Most, but not all, patients with GBS have an elevated CSF protein level (>400 mg/L), with normal CSF cell counts. A normal CSF protein level does not rule out GBS, however, as the level may remain normal in 10% of patients.
Hereof, how do you rule out Guillain Barre Syndrome?
Your doctor may then recommend:
- Spinal tap (lumbar puncture). A small amount of fluid is withdrawn from the spinal canal in your lower back.
- Electromyography. Thin-needle electrodes are inserted into the muscles your doctor wants to study.
- Nerve conduction studies. Electrodes are taped to the skin above your nerves.
Also to know, which pattern of weakness is typical of Guillain Barre Syndrome?
The patient with GBS typically presents with weakness accompanied by tingling dysesthesias in the extremities. This weakness is prominent in the proximal muscles; legs are more often affected than arms. Paresthesias occur, spreading proximally but seldom extending past the wrists and ankles.
A healthcare practitioner performs a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to collect a sample of CSF for this test. While some protein is normally present, an increased amount without an increase in the white blood cells in the CSF may indicate Guillain-Barré syndrome.