Comparison between spinal cord compression (SCC) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).
| Feature | GBS | SCC |
|---|---|---|
| Cause | Autoimmune, often after infection, such as Campylobacter jejuni | Physical compression from a tumor, abscess, fracture, or hematoma |
| Onset | Symptoms develop over a few days | Sudden or progressive, depending on the cause |
| Level of involvement | Peripheral nerves | Spinal cord |
| Type of weakness | Usually symmetrical and starts in the legs according to the type | Often asymmetrical and depends on lesion location |
| Reflexes | Absent or decreased | May be brisk early, reduced if severe damage |
| Sensory symptoms | Numbness and tingling in the limbs | Depends on the sensory level with a defined border below the lesion |
| Sphincter involvement | Rare | Common and often early |
| Pain | Burning or tingling nerve pain | Localized back pain, worse with movement |
| Diagnosis | Clinical signs, lumbar puncture, and nerve conduction studies | MRI of the spine |
| CSF findings | Elevated protein, normal WBC count | Usually, normal |
| Treatment | IVIG or plasmapheresis and supportive care | Early steroids, surgery, or radiotherapy depends on the cause |
| Respiratory failure risk | High—around 25% may require ventilation | Low—unless the cervical cord is affected |
| Recovery | Gradual, usually complete over weeks to months | Varies depending on the cause and timing of treatment |
| Prognosis | Good with early treatment | Worse if the diagnosis is delayed |
MRI: magnetic resonance imaging; CSF: cerebrospinal fluid; WBC: white blood count; IVIG: intravenous immunoglobulin.
OA: Conceptualization, Investigation, Formal analysis, Writing—original draft, Data curation, Writing—review & editing. M Subih: Conceptualization, Investigation, Formal analysis, Writing—original draft, Data curation, Writing—review & editing. LS: Conceptualization, Investigation, Formal analysis, Writing—original draft. M Stublla: Conceptualization, Investigation, Formal analysis, Writing—original draft, Data curation, Writing—review & editing. DB: Writing—review & editing. PT: Conceptualization, Investigation, Formal analysis, Writing—original draft, Data curation, Writing—review & editing. OS: Writing—review & editing. AEEAE: Writing—review & editing. All authors read and approved the submitted version.
Patricia Tai, who is the Editorial Board Member and Guest Editor of Exploration of Medicine, and Omar Alqaisi, who is the Guest Editor of Exploration of Medicine, had no involvement in the decision-making or the review process of this manuscript. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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