A 28-year-old develops rapidly ascending flaccid paralysis, areflexia, and albuminocytologic dissociation on CSF analysis 2 weeks after a diarrhoeal illness. Nerve conduction studies show prolonged distal latencies, reduced conduction velocities, and absent F-waves. The subtype and causative organism are:

• A AIDP subtype; most commonly preceded by Campylobacter jejuni infection ✓
• B AMAN subtype; most commonly preceded by Campylobacter jejuni infection
• C Miller Fisher syndrome; associated with anti-GQ1b antibodies; EBV preceding infection
• D CIDP; preceded by upper respiratory tract infection; most responsive to IVIG

Explanation

The combination of ascending flaccid paralysis, areflexia, albuminocytologic dissociation, and NCS findings of demyelination (prolonged latencies, slow velocities, absent F-waves) in temporal relation to a diarrhoeal illness describes acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP), the most common GBS subtype in the West. Campylobacter jejuni is the most common preceding infection overall. AMAN shows normal or near-normal conduction velocities with severe axon loss and is also strongly associated with C. jejuni (especially in Asia).

Reference: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 21st ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.