Guillain Barre Syndrome and Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome as Complications of Coronavirus Disease-2019

Mada Hamwi^1, , Sufyan Abdul Mujeeb² and Abdallah Hamdallah³

¹Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Downers Grove, USA

²Department of Internal Medicine, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, USA

³Department of Neurology, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, USA

Cite this paper

Mada Hamwi, Sufyan Abdul Mujeeb and Abdallah Hamdallah. Guillain Barre Syndrome and Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome as Complications of Coronavirus Disease-2019. American Journal of Medical Case Reports. 2021; 9(12):686-689. doi: 10.12691/AJMCR-9-12-6

Abstract

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a rare inflammatory disorder that most commonly occurs as a response to a preceding infection. Although GBS is most commonly associated with Campylobacter jejuni infection, several reports have indicated a relationship between the novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and GBS. Here, we present a case of a 72-year-old female diagnosed with COVID-19 who developed progressive lower and upper extremity weakness one month following her COVID-19 diagnosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine confirmed the diagnosis of GBS and her hospital course was further complicated by posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). She responded well to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and subacute inpatient rehabilitation.

Keywords

Guillain Barre syndrome, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, coronavirus disease-2019

Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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