Guillain-Barre (gee-YAH-buh-RAY) syndrome is a rare disorder in which your body's immune system attacks your nerves. Weakness and tingling in your hands and feet are usually the first symptoms. These sensations can quickly spread, eventually paralyzing your whole body.
Sjogren's syndrome, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis are among the autoimmune diseases that can be associated with peripheral neuropathy. Symptoms can range from numbness or tingling, to pricking sensations (paresthesia), or muscle weakness.
Symptoms include blurry vision, difficulty moving arms and legs, changes in sensation, loss of bladder control, and seizures. The diagnosis process is very similar to that of NMO. We do a physical exam, an MRI, and blood tests. Sometimes we perform a spinal tap.
What is Guillain-Barré syndrome? Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare neurological disorder in which your immune system mistakenly attacks part of the peripheral nervous system—the network of nerves located outside of the brain and spinal cord.
Limited cutaneous scleroderma comes on gradually and usually affects skin on your fingers, hands, face, lower arms, and legs below the knees. It can also cause problems with your blood vessels and esophagus.
In the evaluation of patients with immune mediated autoantibody neuropathies, nerve conduction studies and needle electromyography can help to classify the neuropathy as either primary axonal, primary demyelinating, or mixed axonal and demyelinating.
Joint pain is common in lupus, especially in the small joints of the hands and feet. The pain often moves from joint to joint. Joint pain, swelling and stiffness can be the main symptoms for some people with lupus. In most cases, lupus is unlikely to cause permanent damage or change the shape of joints.
Lupus and the peripheral nervous system
Lupus can damage nerves in the body by causing inflammation of the nerves or the tissue around the nerves. This nerve damage is sometimes called peripheral neuropathy. The main symptoms are numbness, tingling, and being unable to move a part of your body.
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic autoimmune disorder in which antibodies destroy neuromuscular connections. This causes problems with communication between nerves and muscle, resulting in weakness of the skeletal muscles. It affects the voluntary muscles of the body, especially the eyes, mouth, throat, and limbs.
Autoimmune demyelinating disorders such as ADEM and NMO may be particularly challenging to distinguish from MS, hampering a prompt and accurate diagnosis [10]. MRI is currently the most valuable tool in diagnosis and differential diagnosis of ADD.
If an autoimmune cause of the autonomic neuropathy is found or strongly suspected, then immunomodulatory therapy may be considered. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) plasmapheresis and oral immunosuppressant medications have been used successfully.
Sarcoidosis is another inflammatory autoimmune disease that shares some symptoms with MS, including fatigue and decreased vision. But sarcoidosis most commonly affects the lungs, lymph nodes, and skin, causing a cough or wheezing, swollen lymph nodes, and lumps, sores, or areas of discoloration on the skin.
Abnormal sensations can be a common initial symptom of MS. This often takes the form of numbness or tingling in different parts of your body, such as the arms, legs or trunk, which typically spreads out over a few days.
Deficiency of vitamins E, B-1, B-6, B-12 or niacin may cause tingling in the hands or feet. These vitamins are vital for nerve function. Vitamin B-12 deficiency may lead to peripheral neuropathy.
It can also affect other body tissues, including the nerves. Inflammation that affects the nerves or the surrounding tissues can trigger sensations of numbness and tingling.
Lupus can also cause inflammation in the joints, which doctors call “inflammatory arthritis.” It can make your joints hurt and feel stiff, tender, warm, and swollen. Lupus arthritis most often affects joints that are farther from the middle of your body, like your fingers, wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, and toes.
You may experience pain and stiffness, with or without swelling. This affects most people with lupus. Common areas for muscle pain and swelling include the neck, thighs, shoulders, and upper arms.
The first symptoms of lupus usually occur somewhere between the teen years and the 30s and may be mild, severe, sporadic, or continual. Common general symptoms include fatigue, fever, and hair loss. Lupus can also affect individual organs and body parts, such as the skin, kidneys, and joints.
Antibody blood tests
The test you will hear about most is called the antinuclear antibodies test (the ANA test). 97% of people with lupus will test positive for ANA.
A tell-tale sign of lupus is a butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks and bridge of the nose. Other common skin problems include sensitivity to the sun with flaky, red spots or a scaly, purple rash on various parts of the body, including the face, neck, and arms. Some people also develop mouth sores.
Weight changes — Lupus can sometimes cause weight loss or weight gain. Weight loss may be unintentional and due to decreased appetite or problems with the digestive system (see 'Digestive system' below).
Environment. Exposure to certain factors in the environment – such as viral infections, sunlight, certain medications, and smoking – may trigger lupus.