scholarly journals Guillain-Barré syndrome in a child with COVID-19 associated multi system inflammatory syndrome

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 1890
Author(s):  
Alekhya Erubothu ◽  
Sudha Rudrappa ◽  
Pratibha Manjunath Patagar

Multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with SARS-CoV-2 is a new entity affecting a small percentage of children during the COVID-19 pandemic. This usually presents with multi-organ dysfunction, predominantly affecting cardiovascular, muco-cutaneous, and gastrointestinal systems. Till now, neurological manifestations as a part of this spectrum, such as, encephalopathy, inflammatory CNS syndromes, cerebrovascular disease, and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), have been well reported in adults, but there is a paucity of data from the paediatric age group. Here, we present a case of a 6-year-old girl who presented to us with progressive, bilaterally symmetrical ascending weakness of lower limbs followed by upper limbs along with drooling of saliva and dyspnea. Nerve conduction studies showed motor axonal neuropathy suggestive of GBS and child was treated accordingly with intravenous immunoglobulin. On 4th day of admission, the child developed high grade fever spikes, hypotension and diarrhoea. Hence, worked up for MIS-C which revealed elevated inflammatory markers with positive SARS-CoV-19 IgM, IgG antibodies. The diagnosis was hence revised to GBS with MIS-C, the child was then started on methylprednisolone following which the child showed both clinical and biochemical improvement and was then discharged. A high index of suspicion for the possibility of MIS-C should be kept in mind in the present pandemic times, as the immune-mediated damages in MIS-C are potentially treatable with a timely institution of intensive care measures along with the use of steroids, IV-Ig, and plasmapheresis.

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-11
Author(s):  
Sarmad Al Hamdani ◽  
Fatema Yusuf Aljanabi ◽  
Maryam Isa Abdulrasool ◽  
Alaa Haitham Salman

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has long been regarded as the first-line treatment for Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), with plasmapheresis only being reserved for severe cases or used as an additional therapy of unproven efficacy. Here, we present the case of a 9-year-old girl with acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN), a rapidly progressive subtype of GBS that caused her to fall into respiratory failure. The patient failed to show a response 10 days after starting IVIG, but showed rather quick improvement with plasmapheresis. She received a total of 5 sessions of plasmapheresis on alternate days over a course of 8 days. Before starting plasmapheresis, her muscle strength was 2/5 in both upper limbs and 1/5 in both lower limbs, and she was dependent on mechanical ventilation. Following the first session, her power improved from 2/5 to 4/5 in the upper limbs, and the gag and sucking reflexes were recovered. On day 3, after the second session was initiated, she was extubated successfully (having been on a ventilator for 2 weeks) and remained on continuous positive airway pressure for the next 48 h, after which she was on room air. In addition, she was having hypertension from the first day of the diagnosis (which was due to autonomic instability), which improved after clonidine to maintain her blood pressure. She was also initially having urinary retention, then was off Foley’s catheter. The patient was discharged from the hospital 2 weeks following the first session of plasmapheresis, with power grade 4/5 in both her upper and lower limbs. Her cranial nerves had recovered fully, and she was able to walk with aids.


2021 ◽  
pp. 342-344
Author(s):  
Anil Kumar Behera ◽  
Syed Naqueeb ul Hassan ◽  
Chaitanya Challa ◽  
K Divya Madhusudhan Reddy ◽  
V Bharat R Bhardwaj ◽  
...  

The novel coronavirus-COVID-19 was detected in Wuhan city of Hubei Province in China on December 31, 2019. Coronaviruses are known to infect multiple organ systems, with respiratory complications being the most obvious symptoms. Although, neurological manifestations are quite rarely reported in cases of COVID-19. In this report, we present the case of a 57-year-old male patient reported with complaints of acute progressive symmetric quadriparesis and recently recovered from COVID-19. Two weeks prior to hospitalization, the patient suffered from cough and fever. The reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction test for COVID-19 infection was positive. Electrodiagnostic tests showed that the patient had acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy variant of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). COVID-19 virus stimulates the inflammatory cells and as a result, creates immune-mediated processes. GBS is an immune-mediated disorder. It is not clear whether COVID-19 infection induces the production of antibodies against specific gangliosides. Further investigations should be conducted in regards to the mechanism of GBS in patients with COVID-19 in the future.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Walaa A. Kamel ◽  
Ismail Ibrahim Ismail ◽  
Jasem Yousef Al-Hashel

Objective: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute immune-mediated polyradiculoneuropathy that is often related to a previous infectious exposure. GBS emerged as a potentially serious complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) since its declaration as a global pandemic. We report the first case from Kuwait, to the best of our knowledge. Clinical Presentation: A 72-year-old male presented with 3 weeks history of acute progressive and ascending lower limbs weakness. He developed these symptoms 3 weeks after testing positive to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Electrophysiological studies showed acute demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy and cerebrospinal fluid showed protein-cell dissociation. He was successfully treated with intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIGs). Conclusion: Neurologists should be aware of GBS as a potentially serious complication associated with CO­VID-19. Our patient had a favorable outcome with IVIG with no autonomic or respiratory affection.


Author(s):  
Bashar Katirji

Guillain-Barré syndrome is the prototype of acute immune-mediated neuropathies. Guillain-Barré syndrome has several subtypes including acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, acute motor axonal neuropathy, and acute motor sensory axonal neuropathy. Guillain-Barré syndrome has also several variants including Miller Fisher syndrome, ataxic form, and pharyngeal–cervical–brachial form. This case highlights the clinical findings in Guillain-Barré syndrome and discusses in details the diagnostic criteria that are essential in confirming the diagnosis and excluding mimickers of the disorder. This is followed by a detailed discussion on the electrodiagnostic findings in Guillain-Barré syndrome during the acute presentation and recovery phase. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the various findings seen on nerve conduction studies are included.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. e243629
Author(s):  
Tanveer Hasan ◽  
Mustafizur Khan ◽  
Farhin Khan ◽  
Ghanim Hamza

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare immune-mediated disorder of the peripheral nerves. Although its cause is not fully understood, the syndrome often follows infection with a virus or bacteria, although in rare occasions, vaccination may precede GBS. We describe a case of a 62-year-old woman who presented with paraesthesia and progressive weakness of both lower limbs over 3 days. Clinical examination and investigation findings including lumbar puncture and nerve conduction studies were consistent with the diagnosis of GBS. She had no history of either diarrhoea or respiratory tract infections preceding her presentation. However, she had her first intramuscular dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine 11 days prior to her presentation. Although no direct link could be ascertained, the purpose of this report is to highlight the incidence and consider this issue while evaluating any case of GBS in the light of the current pandemic and vaccination programme.


Author(s):  
Carlos Henrique Michiles Frank ◽  
Taynná Vernalha Rocha Almeida ◽  
Elyana Almeida Marques ◽  
Quezia de Sousa Monteiro ◽  
Pablo Vinícius Silveira Feitoza ◽  
...  

Abstract We report the case of a 15-year-old male patient presenting frontal headaches with retro-orbital pain accompanied by fever evolving to weakness and pain of the lower limbs, which ascended to upper limbs. A COVID-19 rapid test (IgG and IgM) and nasopharyngeal swab polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was positive for SARS-CoV-2. The blood tests, cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) analysis and CSF aerobic culture revealed no abnormalities. PCR testing of the CSF was negative for the most prevalent etiologies as well as for SARS-CoV-2. Electroneurography study was compatible with the acute motor axonal neuropathy variant of Guillain–Barré syndrome. No cases involving young patients have been presented to date. Therefore, this is the first reported pediatric case of SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with GBS. Evidence reveals that SARS-CoV-2 infection is not limited to the respiratory tract. Neurotropism could explain this important neurologic manifestation of COVID-19 in children.


BMC Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiaoyu Gong ◽  
Shuping Liu ◽  
Yin Liu ◽  
Jiajia Yao ◽  
Xiujuan Fu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Surgery is a potential trigger of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a disorder which leads to an autoimmune-mediated attack of peripheral nerves. The present study was designed to explore clinical features of post-surgical GBS compared with those of general GBS in order to provide better clinical advice to patients undergoing surgery. Methods The medical records of GBS patients who were seen at 31 tertiary hospitals in southern China between January 1, 2013 and September 30, 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Post-surgical GBS was defined as symptoms of GBS within 6 weeks after surgery. Clinical features of post-surgical GBS are described and are compared with general GBS. Results Among the 1001 GBS patient cases examined in this study, 45 (4.5%) patient cases exhibited symptoms of GBS within 6 weeks of undergoing surgery. Within this group, 36 (80.0%) patients developed initial symptoms of limb weakness. The average interval between surgery and symptom onset was 13.31 days. The most common type of surgery which triggered GBS was orthopedic surgery, followed by neurological surgery. Compared to general GBS, post-surgical GBS was characterized by a higher proportion of severe patients (Hughes functional grading scale (HFGS) score ≥ 3) upon admission and at nadir, higher HFGS scores at discharge, and longer hospital stays. Post-surgical GBS patients also had a significantly higher frequency of the acute motor axonal neuropathy subtype (37.9 vs. 14.2, respectively; P = 0.001). Conclusion Surgery is probably a potential trigger factor for GBS, especially orthopedic surgery. Infections secondary to surgery may play a role. The possibility of preceding (post-operative) infections was not excluded in this study. Clinical presentation of post-surgical GBS is characterized by a more severe course and poorer prognosis, and should be closely monitored. Trial registration chicTR-RRc-17,014,152.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Y. Liu ◽  
Jessica R. Hollenbach ◽  
Jason A. Gregorin ◽  
Jonathan H. Wynbrandt

Acute Motor Sensory Axonal Neuropathy (AMSAN) is a rare and severe variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) that has a prolonged recovery course. GBS is often suspected due to ascending muscle weakness, sensation difficulties, respiratory compromise, and antecedent diarrhea. The diagnosis of GBS is supported by cerebrospinal fluid analysis showing albuminocytologic dissociation. Electromyogram and nerve conduction study confirm the diagnosis and allow for further classification by variant. Treatment involves either IV immune globulins or plasmapheresis, and patients typically recover. However, depending on the variant and severity, patients may ultimately require prolonged mechanical ventilation with tracheostomy. In these cases, they may continue to have persistent muscle and sensation abnormalities requiring long-term care. We present a unique case of a 38-year-old female patient with decade-long use of lithium for bipolar disorder that presented with acute lithium toxicity. Though she was ultimately diagnosed with AMSAN, the Syndrome of Irreversible Lithium-Effectuated Neurotoxicity (SILENT) may have also contributed to her persistent neurological sequelae.


2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 637-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayşe Tosun ◽  
Şiar Dursun ◽  
Utku Ogan Akyildiz ◽  
Seçil Oktay ◽  
Cengiz Tataroğlu

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-51
Author(s):  
Gian Luca Vita ◽  
Carmen Terranova ◽  
Maria Sframeli ◽  
Antonio Toscano ◽  
Giuseppe Vita

Introduction: Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is an acute, immune-mediated, generalized polyradiculoneuropathy often triggered by a bacterial or viral infection, vaccination, or surgery. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, some patients were reported with GBS associated COVID-19 infection. Case Presentation: We report, herein, a patient who had a recurrent GBS after forty years. Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) induced improvement, but her condition worsened suddenly after twenty days, coinciding with a COVID-19 infection. A second IVIg cycle was administered, and she improved again. Conclusion: The take-home message is that in the current pandemic, any re-worsening or lack of improvement after appropriate treatment of GBS or possibly other autoimmune neurological diseases must be checked to determine if it is related to COVID-19 infection.


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