Pain and the Guillain-Barre syndrome in children under 6 years old

During a 15-year period, 29 children, under the age of 6 years, with acute Guillain-Barre syndrome were seen at our institution. A review of their charts revealed that pain was a symptom in all patients and was present on admission in 79% of cases. Pain was often the most important symptom and led to misdiagnosis in 20 patients (69%). In 11 of these children, symptoms were present for more than a week before the correct diagnosis was made. The most common pain syndrome was back and lower limb pain, present in 83% of patients. Pediatricians should consider Guillain-Barre syndrome in their differential diagnosis when faced with a child who has lower limb pain and areflexia.