Final answer:
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is diagnosed based on clinical symptoms and supported by electrophysiological studies or CSF analysis. Treatment options include plasmapheresis and IVIG, and complications can range from weakness to life-threatening paralysis, with myalgia being a possible symptom.
Step-by-step explanation:
Guillain-Barré Syndrome Diagnosis and Treatment
When Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is suspected, the diagnosis is primarily clinical, observing the patient's symptoms which may include tingling, weakness, or flaccid paralysis. Although there is some debate over the sole reliance on clinical symptoms for diagnosis, electrophysiological studies or a spinal tap to examine the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may support the diagnosis, showing high protein levels with normal cell count (albuminocytologic dissociation).
The best treatment option for GBS is typically either plasmapheresis or intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). These treatments can help reduce the duration and severity of the illness by removing harmful antibodies from the blood or altering the immune system's activity, respectively.
Complications from GBS can vary from minor sensations of weakness to life-threatening paralysis requiring mechanical ventilation. Autonomic dysfunction may lead to heart rhythm changes and blood pressure fluctuations. Persistent weakness, numbing, muscle pain (myalgia), or fatigue can occur even after recovery.
Diagnostic criteria for GBS include progression of symptoms over days to four weeks, relative symmetry of symptoms, mild sensory symptoms compared to motor impairment, cranial nerve involvement, autonomic dysfunction, and absence of fever at onset. Myalgia can indeed be a symptom of GBS, often accompanying the neurologic symptoms.