[Clinical and neurophysiologic study of Guillain Barré syndrome: results of therapy with plasmapheresis].

The Guillain Barré poliradicoloneuritis shows a high incidence of permanent sequelae and exitus. Recently the plasmapheresis has been applied in the acute stage with a beneficial effect to the rapidity and the degree of the recovery. In the present study the results obtained in a group of patients with Guillain Barré of maximal severity are reported. All the patients have received plasmapheresis (3-5 exchanges) in the first days of the disease. Eventual side effects during the procedure have been evaluated together to the neurophysiological findings. The recovery has been evaluated in the brief and in the long term. From this study the efficacy of the plasmapheresis in Guillain Barré poliradicoloneuritis is confirmed. Furthermore a correlation has been evidenced between the amplitude of the muscular potential (CMAP) registered in the acute phase and the prognosis of the illness.