It is usually fairly easy to recognise the patient who presents with a few days' history of progressive sensory symptoms, flaccid tetraparesis, and areflexia, perhaps with increasing bulbar weakness.

当患者于数天内行出现感觉、弛缓瘫、腱反射消失、甚至伴行球麻痹时，识别这非常简单，但于疾病早期作出格林-巴利综合征的诊断却很困难。