Definition

Noun: - A neurological disorder: A specific form of peripheral polyneuritis (inflammation of multiple peripheral nerves) marked by symptoms including pain, weakness, and in some cases, paralysis of the limbs. Its cause is not definitively known.

Usage

• Medical Diagnosis/Description: Used primarily in medical contexts to name and describe this specific neurological condition.
  • The patient was diagnosed with infectious polyneuritis after presenting with ascending weakness and sensory loss.
  • Research into the etiology of infectious polyneuritis continues, as the cause remains idiopathic.

Advanced Usage

• Clinical Context: The term is often used interchangeably with or is a historical name for Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), an acute autoimmune disorder affecting the peripheral nervous system.
  • The case study described a classic presentation of what was once called infectious polyneuritis, now more commonly referred to as Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Variants and Related Words

• Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS): The modern, more precise term for the condition historically labeled infectious polyneuritis.
• Acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP): The most common subtype of GBS.
• Polyneuritis: A broader term for inflammation of multiple peripheral nerves.
• Polyneuropathy: A general term for dysfunction of multiple peripheral nerves.

Synonyms

• Guillain-Barré syndrome
• Acute idiopathic polyneuritis (emphasizes the unknown cause)
• Landry's ascending paralysis (a historical term describing a similar presentation)

Notes on Meaning

While the term contains "infectious," it is somewhat of a historical misnomer. The condition is not directly contagious from person to person. The name likely originated from the observation that symptoms often follow a bacterial or viral infection, suggesting an infectious trigger for an autoimmune response, even though the exact cause ("etiology") is classified as unknown or idiopathic.

Noun

1. a form of peripheral polyneuritis characterized by pain and weakness and sometimes paralysis of the limbs; cause is unknown