Objective: To investigate epidemiological and clinical patterns of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in urban and rural areas in Beijing municipality and Hebei province, China.
Methods: We investigated GBS incidence using a strengthened case surveillance and an active case ascertainment in 2 counties and 4 districts of Beijing municipality and 3 counties of Hebei province during 1993 to 1994.
Results: On the basis of the diagnostic criteria of NINCDS, 54 patients were identified. The age-adjusted incidence rates per 100,000 population for GBS were 0.9 in rural areas, and 0.8 in urban areas. A peak agespecific incidence showed in adults aged 50 to 59 years. A higher incidence appeared to occur in the spring and summer for rural residents, but not significant for urban population. In comparing course of GBS in rural and urban areas, there were differences in mean days from beginning of neurological symptom to maximal weakness (4.3 vs 7.6 days), and from symptom onset to beginning of recession (11.8 vs 17.5 days). There were preceding events in 72% patients, most frequently in respiratory infection, sensory disturbance in 70.9%, and respiratory assistance in 7.6%. The outcome was compatible with other reports; with complete recovery at 12 months in 79.2% and minimal residua in 20.8% for those alive and with casefatality rate in 7.4%. In addition, a follow-up study on electrophysiological features in 19(90.5%) patients from two counties of Beijing showed the demyelinating lesion (89.5%) over the axonal lesion (52.6%) of motor and/or sensory nerves.
Conclusions: The epidemiological and clinical characteristics of GBS were similar to that reported in other countries. Demyelinating GBS was the main pattern in present population-based study.