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Table 1 Diagnostic criteria for Bickerstaff’s brainstem encephalitis (BBE), Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)

From: Bickerstaff’s brainstem encephalitis, Miller Fisher syndrome and Guillain-Barré syndrome overlap in an asthma patient with negative anti-ganglioside antibodies

Disorder

Featured characteristics

Supportive evidence

BBE

Acute ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, disturbed consc-iousness or hypereflexia

Abnormal lesions on brain MRI; EEG showing abnormal slow-wave activity; anti-GQ1b IgG antibody in serum; Albuminocytological dissociation in the CSF

MFS

Acute ophthalmoplegia, ataxia and areflexia

Albuminocytological dissociation in the CSF; anti-GQ1b IgG antibody in serum

GBS

Acute symmetrical limb weakness and areflexia

Albuminocytological dissociation in the CSF; relatively mild sensory loss; cranial neuropathy; EMG showing demyelination or axonal damage in peripheral nerves and spinal roots

  1. CSF cerebrospinal fluid; MRI magnetic resonance imaging; EMG electromyogram; EEG electroencephalogram.