02.01.18

Consultant Thomas Harbo (left) from Aarhus University Hospital visiting Professor of Neurology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, David Cornblath, MD,  board member of the Foundation and Medical Advisory Board of the GBS/CIDP Foundation International (private photo).

Aarhus University Hospital is now an international ”Center of Excellence” for a number of rare neurological diseases.

The GBS/CIDP Foundation International has appointed Aarhus University Hospital to be the first Center of Excellence in the Nordic countries for examination and treatment of Guillain Barré Syndrome (GBS), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIPD) and similar diseases such as multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN).

The inflammatory diseases affect the patients’ nerves and causes paralysis, pain and sensory disturbances. It is a spectrum of diseases with acute and very ill patients requiring intensive care and respiratory treatment for weeks and even months as well as chronic patients in need of specialist follow-up and lifelong treatment with immunomodulation such as immunoglobulin and plasmapheresis.

The diseases may occur in patients of all ages and the appointment as Center of Excellence refers to a collaboration between Department of Neurology and Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at Aarhus University Hospital. To become a Center of Excellence the hospital must offer neurophysiological diagnostics, plasmapheresis and intensive care at a highly specialised level.

The appointment first of all acknowledges the high professional level in treatment and care at Aarhus University Hospital as well as the strong position in research within this field. The team of specialists in rare neurological diseases at Aarhus University Hospital will now get access to a global network of experts in treatment, research, education and patient counsellling and they will get the opportunity to search for funding through the GBS/CIDP Foundation.

The GBS/CIDP Foundation International is the world leader non-profit organisation supporting patients with GBS, CIDP or similar diseases such as MMN.

Read more about:

Centers of Excellence at the GBS/CIDP Foundation website:  https://www.gbs-cidp.org/support/centers-of-excellence/

Further information:

Henning Andersen, Professor, Department of Neurology, Tel.: +45 7846 3281 or e-mail hennande@rm.dk

Lars Markvardsen, Registrar, Department of Neurology, e-mail larsmark@rm.dk

Thomas Harbo, Consultant, Department of Neurology, Tel.: +45 4082 0643 or e-mail thomharb@rm.dk

Karen Markussen Linnet, Consultant, Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, e-mail karelinn@rm.dk