Asymmetric Lower Extremity Involvement and Facial Palsy: An Atypical Case of Guillain-Barre Syndrome

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) represents the most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis and is characterized by muscle weakness frequently accompanied by respiratory and bulbar paralysis which oftentimes can be life-threatening. Early recognition and intervention are essential to prevent potential...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2020-06, Vol.12 (6)
Main Authors: Albawaliz, Anas, Abdallah, Dina, Seehra, Gurpreet K, Elkafrawy, Ahmed, Al-Shyoukh, Ahmad
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Internal Medicine
Neurology
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Summary:Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) represents the most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis and is characterized by muscle weakness frequently accompanied by respiratory and bulbar paralysis which oftentimes can be life-threatening. Early recognition and intervention are essential to prevent potential complications and help hasten recovery. Herein, we report a case of a middle-aged female who presented with nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms that were shortly followed by a unique combination of new-onset facial diplegia and asymmetric lower extremity areflexia. Treatment with intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) was initiated following a prompt diagnosis of GBS was made. Clinicians should always be vigilant about the possibility of GBS in the appropriate clinical setting and be aware of the essentials of management of this potentially treatable disease.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.8912