Guillain-Barré syndrome

views updated

Guillain-Barré syndrome (postinfective polyneuropathy) (gee-yan ba-ray) n. a disease of the peripheral nerves in which there is numbness and weakness in the limbs. It usually develops 1–28 days after a respiratory or gastrointestinal infection that provokes an allergic response in the peripheral nerves. [ G. Guillain (1876–1961) and A. Barré (1880–1967), French neurologists]

More From encyclopedia.com