search
for
 About Bioline  All Journals  Testimonials  Membership  News


Neurology India
Medknow Publications on behalf of the Neurological Society of India
ISSN: 0028-3886 EISSN: 1998-4022
Vol. 57, Num. 3, 2009, pp. 282-286

Neurology India, Vol. 57, No. 3, May-June, 2009, pp. 282-286

Original Article

"Finger drop sign" in Guillain-Barré syndrome

Department of Neurology, Medical College, Calicut - 673 008, Kerala, India

Correspondence Address: Dr. Arun George Department of Neurology, Medical College, Calicut - 673 008, Kerala, India.
a.george@rediffmail.com

Date of Acceptance: 25-Apr-2009

Code Number: ni09083

PMID: 19587468

DOI: 10.4103/0028-3886.53276

Abstract

Background: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute neurological illness affecting the peripheral nervous system causing significant morbidity. The syndrome has been classified electrophysiologically into demyelinating and axonal forms. The clinical features of the axonal variant (acute motor axonal neuropathy-AMAN) are not well characterized, particularly in the Indian context. Objective: To assess the incidence, clinical presentation and disease course of patients with AMAN. Materials and Methods: This is an observational study done at a tertiary referral center in South India. The study period extended from January 2006 to July 2007. All patients with a clinical diagnosis of GBS and satisfying the electrophysiological criteria for AMAN were included. Results: There were 12 cases of AMAN out of a total of 84 cases of GBS. All AMAN patients showed a characteristic pattern of hand weakness predominant weakness of finger extensors with relatively normal power in finger flexors, wrist flexors and extensors. Proximal limb weakness was mild and was present in 85% cases. One patient had cranial nerve palsy and one had hyperreflexia. None of the patients progressed to respiratory failure. Conclusion: AMAN is a distinct subgroup in GBS showing certain distinguishing features, the most notable being predominant weakness of finger extensors.

Keywords: AMAN, finger drop, Guillain-Barré syndrome, hypereflexia, paucity of cranial nerve palsy

Introduction

Guillain Barré syndrome (GBS) affects between one and four per 100,000 of the population annually throughout the world [1] causing respiratory failure requiring ventilation in approximately 25%, death in 4-15% [2],[3],[4] ,persistent disability in approximately 20% [5] and persistent fatigue in 67%. [6] GBS has been classified on a pathologic basis into demyelinating and axonal forms. Axonal GBS has been classified further into two groups: Acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) and acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN). [7] The principal clinical method for distinguishing AMAN, AMSAN, and acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) is electrodiagnostic, and clear criteria have been formulated. The pathology of AMAN and AMSAN is very similar, and both conditions may follow Campylobacter jejuni enteritis. The clinical picture of AMAN has not been well characterized, particularly in the Indian context. Here we report 12 consecutive cases of AMAN which showed a characteristic pattern of predominant finger extensor weakness.

Materials and Methods

This is an observational study conducted in a tertiary referral center in south India. The study period extended from January 2006 to July 2007. The purpose of the study was to assess the incidence, clinical presentation and the disease course of patients with AMAN. All patients with a clinical diagnosis of GBS and electrophysiological criteria satisfying AMAN were included. Electrophysiological studies were performed within 10 days of the onset of illness in all patients. Nerve conduction studies were performed by the conventional procedures. Motor conduction studies were done on the median, ulnar, tibial, and peroneal nerves and sensory conduction studies on the median, ulnar, and sural nerves on both sides. (This is the standard protocol of nerve conduction study followed in our institution for GBS irrespective of AMAN or AIDP.) Patients were classified as having AMAN or AIDP based on the electrodiagnostic criteria proposed by Hughes and Cornblath recently; i.e. none of the features of AIDP except one demyelinating feature allowed in one nerve if distal compound muscle action potential (CMAP) was less than 10% of lower limit of normal and sensory action potential amplitudes were normal. [8] Blood cell counts and routine blood chemistry tests were done at the first neurological examination. CSF analysis was done before treatment in all patients.

A patient was excluded in the presence of at least one of the following: (1) marked, persistent asymmetry of the neurological signs (asymmetry was considered to exist when the MRC grading of muscle power differed by more than two grades between the corresponding muscles of the right and left extremity); (2)> 10 mononuclear leukocytes in the spinal fluid; (3) conditions such as diabetic or alcohol neuropathy, neuropathies associated with industrial agents, metals and drugs, poliomyelitis, and porphyria; (4) electrodiagnostic study consistent with demyelination. All patients′ clinical features including age, sex, presence of preceding infections, vaccination, cranial nerve involvement,time to nadir, pattern of limb weakness, Hughes grade and clinical course were assessed. These patients were followed up monthly for six months. During the study period we found that the clinical presentation of AMAN showed certain distinctive features in comparison to AIDP which also presented to us in the same period. We then compared the clinical features of patients with AMAN and AIDP to detect any major differences in their clinical presentation.

Observations

Our series had 12 cases of AMAN. During the same period there were 66 AIDP cases, four cases of Miller Fischer syndrome and two AMSAN; making a total of 84 cases of GBS. Thus AMAN represents about 14% of GBS cases presenting to our department. The clinical features of AMAN patients are given in [Table - 1]. There were eight males and four females. The mean age was 33.8 years (range 11-73). Only six patients had a preceding infection (three gastrointestinal and three respiratory). Nerve conduction data is given in [Table - 2]. All AMAN patients except two had a characteristic pattern of distal upper extremity weakness i.e. severe finger extensor weakness in presence of relatively normal wrist extension, wrist flexion and finger flexion [Table - 3]. Proximal upper extremity weakness (MRC Grade 3-4) was seen in 10 patients. Proximal (MRC Grade 2-4) as well as distal (MRC Grade2-4, Grade 2 power in only one patient) lower extremity weakness was seen in all patients. In the lower extremity Grade 2 weakness occurred proximally in only two patients who were nonambulant at presentation. Only one patient had bilateral facial palsy. One patient had hyperreflexia. One patient had hyporeflexia with extensor plantar response. None of these patients progressed to respiratory paralysis requiring ventilator support. All patients were ambulant at the two-month follow up but the finger extension weakness still persisted, albeit to a lesser degree in eight patients.

There were 55 AIDP patients for whom complete clinical and electrophysiologic data [Table - 4] are available. There were 31 males and 24 females. A preceding illness was seen in 43.5%. In MRC grading of the muscle power none of these patients had a selective finger extensor weakness. Whenever finger extensor weakness occurred in AIDP patients it was always associated with equally severe weakness in the finger flexors and much greater weakness in the proximal muscles of the limb. Cranial nerve palsies were seen in 32 (58%) patients. Thirteen patients (22%) required ventilator support. Three patients died.

Discussion

GBS is an acute neurological illness, the course of which may vary from a self-limiting illness to an acute fulminating illness with a mortality of approximately 4-15% and permanent disability in about 20%. Patients with AMAN were considered to have greater long-term disability [9] whereas patients with AIDP were generally at high risk for rapid deterioration and need of mechanical ventilation. [10]

The previous studies have not stressed upon the clinical features of AMAN. In our small series we found that AMAN patients had a characteristic pattern of severe distal upper limb weakness with varying degrees of proximal weakness. This pattern consisted of severe finger extensor weakness (i.e. at the metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints) in the presence of relatively normal power in finger flexion, wrist flexion and wrist extension-the " finger drop sign" [Figure - 1]. This extensor weakness was not due to posterior interosseous nerve involvement alone, as to some extent lumbricals were also involved. But the key feature is the selectivity i.e. very weak finger extension and reasonably preserved finger flexion, wrist flexion and extension. This finger extensor weakness was bilateral in all the AMAN patients. It was the presenting symptom in four patients. None of our patients with AMAN had proximal muscle weakness in the absence of distal involvement. Proximal weakness was mild in comparison to the distal weakness, particularly in the upper extremity. Only two patients had severe proximal weakness rendering them non- ambulant. Finger extensor weakness exceeding MRC Grade 3 was present in 27(49%) patients with AIDP. But this weakness was never selective i.e. it affected both extensors and flexors equally and was always associated with severe proximal muscle weakness. It was neither the presenting symptom nor the dominant symptom. Thus predominant weakness of finger extensors seems to be relatively specific for the AMAN variant of GBS.

One of our patients had hyperreflexia. Though this doesn′t satisfy the original clinical criteria where areflexia is a factor required for making the diagnosis, the clinical course was consistent with GBS and electrophysiology showed reduced amplitudes of the CMAP. One patient had hyporeflexia and extensor plantar response. This does not exclude GBS because in the article by Asbury [11] it was mentioned that some patients might show a variant pattern with extensor plantar response. So if the whole clinical picture fits GBS, the presence of a mere extensor plantar does not exclude the diagnosis. Deep tendon reflexes may be preserved throughout the disease course in patients with AMAN and have been considered indicators of rapid clinical recovery. [12],[13] Moreover, 48% of Chinese and 33% of Japanese patients with AMAN showed hyperreflexia in the recovery phase. [14],[15] In Europe, patients with pure motor GBS had preserved tendon reflexes up to MRC Grade 3 paresis, and more recently, an AMAN patient with hyperreflexia has been reported. [16] Many believe that the diagnostic criterion of areflexia should therefore be applied only to the sensory- motor forms of GBS.

Fifty-eight per cent of patients with AIDP had cranial nerve palsy while only one patient with AMAN had cranial nerve palsy (8%). This paucity of cranial nerve involvement is another characteristic feature of AMAN. Viser et al. , [17] in their study on pure motor forms of GBS also observed the same.

All our AMAN patients improved and were ambulant independently at two months but the finger drop still persisted in eight of the 12, consistent with previous reports of long period to recovery in patients with axonopathy. There is controversy regarding the recovery patterns in patients with AMAN. Some studies have shown rapid clinical recovery whereas others have shown poor recovery with persistent disability. In those cases showing rapid clinical recovery authors postulate a distal conduction block at the motor nerve terminal as the pathologic basis for the low-amplitude CMAP and the rapid recovery due to reversal of conduction block at the motor nerve terminals following treatment. [18] Studies employing motor nerve terminal biopsy have proven this point. Those studies showing poor clinical recovery suggest a primary axonal degeneration as the basis for poor recovery. In a pathological study of three patients with AMAN Feasby et al. , [19] found evidence of axonal degeneration in the distal segments of the nerves as well as in the ventral roots and moderate axonal degeneration. McKhann et al. , [20] in their autopsy study on AMAN patients found non-inflammatory demyelination and predominant axonal degeneration in the ventral roots. Thus the pathological basis for the low CMAP and hence recovery is not uniform in AMAN.

AMAN was recognized as a distinct entity in the early nineties. McKhann reported a large series of 90 patients from China. [14] These patients with AMAN were largely children from rural areas. Bias towards children is due to the fact that this study was done in a children′s hospital in China. In this study he reported a rapidly evolving weakness of proximal muscles and cranial nerve palsies. He did not highlight any distal involvement. But in that study 25 patients were followed up till one year in whom 17 patients (all ambulant) still had distal weakness with mild atrophy of the hands and feet. This suggests that these patients might have had severe distal weakness also at initial presentation which may have been overlooked because of equally severe or greater proximal weakness and cranial nerve palsies. A second large series of AMAN patients was reported by Visser et al. , from the Dutch Guillain-Barré study group. [17] In this series they found 14 patients as having a pure motor phenotype clinically. This group had certain specific features such as shorter time from onset to nadir, predominant distal weakness, lower incidence of cranial nerve palsies and less need for ventilatory support. But electrophysiologically their cases had evidence of distal demyelinating pathology suggesting that a distal conduction block could have caused the low amplitude of CMAPs. Our cases did not show any demyelinating features electrophysiologically. So electrophysiology-wise our cases have greater similarity to the series from China with normal distal latencies and markedly reduced CMAP amplitudes. But in that series there was dominant proximal weakness, the majority had cranial nerve palsies and many required ventilatory assistance suggesting a more fulminant entity whereas our clinical picture is milder. So our cases fall in the middle of this spectrum where the weakness is predominantly distal, cranial nerve palsies are few, course less fulminant and electrophysiology suggestive of pure motor axonopathy. These regional differences observed between the studies could be due to the different antibodies targeting different sites along the peripheral nervous system and causing variable degree of axonal damage or there could be some genetic factor which might influence the way one responds to an immunological insult and this might be different in different populations. Future studies may enhance our knowledge about this very interesting clinical entity and may offer newer therapeutic strategies.

References

1.Hughes RA, Rees JH. Clinical and epidemiological features of Guillain- Barré syndrome. J Infect Dis 1997;176:S92-8.  Back to cited text no. 1    
2.Van Koningsveld R, Van Doorn PA, Schmitz PI, Ang CW, Van der Mechι FG. Mild forms of Guillain-Barré syndrome in an epidemiologic survey in The Netherlands. Neurology 2000;54:620-5.  Back to cited text no. 2    
3.Prevots DR, Sutter RW. Assessment of Guillain-Barré syndrome mortality and morbidity in the United States: Implications for acute flaccid paralysis surveillance. J Infect Dis 1997;175:S151-5.  Back to cited text no. 3    
4.Rees JH, Thompson RD, Smeeton NC, Hughes RA. An epidemiological study of Guillain-Barré syndrome in south east England. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1998;64:74-7.  Back to cited text no. 4    
5.Plasma Exchange/Sandoglobulin Guillain-Barré Syndrome Trial Group. Randomised trial of plasma exchange, intravenous immunoglobulin, and combined treatments in Guillain-Barré syndrome. Lancet 1997;349:225-30.  Back to cited text no. 5    
6.Merkies IS, Schmitz PI, Samijn JP, van der Mechι FG, van Doorn PA. Fatigue in immune-mediated polyneuropathies: European Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause and Treatment (INCAT) Group. Neurology 1999;53:1648-54.  Back to cited text no. 6    
7.Griffin JW, Li CY, Ho TW, Tian M, Gao CY, Xue P, et al. Pathology of motor-sensory axonal Guillain-Barré syndrome. Ann Neurol 1996;39:17-28.  Back to cited text no. 7    
8.Richard AC Hughes, David R. Cornblath Guillain-Barré syndrome. Lancet 2005;366:1653-66.  Back to cited text no. 8    
9.The Italian Guillain-Barré Study Group. The prognosis and main prognostic indicators of Guillain-Barré syndrome: A multicentre prospective study of 297 patients. Brain 1996;119:2053-61.  Back to cited text no. 9    
10.Durand MC, Porcher R, Orlikowski D, Aboab J, Devaux C, Clair B, et al. Clinical and electrophysiological predictors of respiratory failure in Guillain-Barré syndrome: A prospective study. Lancet Neurol 2006;5:1021-8.  Back to cited text no. 10    
11.Asbury AK, Cornblath DR. Assessment of current diagnostic criteria for Guillain Barré Syndrome. Ann Neurol 1990;27:521.  Back to cited text no. 11    
12.Yuki N, Hirata K. Preserved tendon reflexes in Campylobacter neuropathy. Ann Neurol 1998;43:546-48.  Back to cited text no. 12    
13.Kuwabara S, Mori M, Ogawara K, Hattori T, Yuki N. Indicators of rapid clinical recovery in Guillain-Barré syndrome. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2001;70:560-2.  Back to cited text no. 13    
14.McKhann GM, Cornblath DR, Griffin JW, Ho TW, Li CY, Jiang Z, et al. Acute motor axonal neuropathy: A frequent cause of acute flaccid paralysis in China. Ann Neurol 1993;33:333-42.  Back to cited text no. 14    
15.Kuwabara S, Ogawara K, Koga M, Mori M, Hattori T, Yuki N. Hyperreflexia in Guillain-Barré syndrome: Relation with acute motor axonal neuropathy and anti-GM1 antibody. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1999;67:1804.  Back to cited text no. 15    
16.Podnar S, Vodusek DB. Hyperreflexia in a patient with motor axonal Guillain-Barré syndrome. Eur J Neurol 2000;7:72730.  Back to cited text no. 16    
17.Visser LH, Van Der Meche A, Van Doorn PA, Meulstee J, Jacobs BC, Oomes PG, et al. Guillain-Barré syndrome without sensory loss (acute motor neuropathy): A subgroup with specific clinical, electrodiagnostic and laboratory features. Brain 1995;118:841-7.  Back to cited text no. 17    
18.Cros D, Triggs WJ. There are no neurophysiologic features characteristic of Axonal Guillain Barré Syndrome. Muscle Nerve 1994;17:675.  Back to cited text no. 18    
19.Feasby TE, Hahn AF, Brown WF, Bolton CF, Gilbert JJ, Koopman WJ. Severe axonal degeneration in acute Guillain Barré Syndrome: Evidence of two different mechanisms? J Neurol Sci 1993;11:185.  Back to cited text no. 19    
20.Griffin JW, Li CY, Ho TW, Xue P, Macko C, Gao CY, et al. Guillain Barré Syndrome in northern China:The spectrum of neuropathological changes in clinically defined cases. Brain1995;118:577-95   Back to cited text no. 20    

Copyright 2009 - Neurology India


The following images related to this document are available:

Photo images

[ni09083t4.jpg] [ni09083t3.jpg] [ni09083t1.jpg] [ni09083f1.jpg] [ni09083t2.jpg]
Home Faq Resources Email Bioline
© Bioline International, 1989 - 2024, Site last up-dated on 01-Sep-2022.
Site created and maintained by the Reference Center on Environmental Information, CRIA, Brazil
System hosted by the Google Cloud Platform, GCP, Brazil