[The treatment of the Guillain-Barré syndrome in childhood by plasmapheresis].

We have performed 18 plasmapheresis [correction of plasma exchange] sessions in a group of 5 patients diagnosed as having Guillain-Barré Syndrome. These patients were diagnosed according to clinical, analytical and electromyographic criteria. In three patients we observed an obvious clinical improvement during the treatment. In one of the patients there was no appreciable evolution. This patient suffered from acute lymphocytic leukemia. We were unable to evaluate the remaining patient since this child underwent posthypoxic encephalopathy secondary to cardiac arrest. On the basis of the results obtained, we advocate the treatment of this polyneuropathy by plasmapheresis [correction of plasma exchange].