Guillain-Barré syndrome with overlap between the finger drop variant and acute bulbar palsy: a case report

Autor: Shota Ito, Satoshi Yokoi, Yuki Fukami, Ayumi Uchibori, Masahisa Katsuno
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: BMC Neurology, Vol 24, Iss 1, Pp 1-6 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1471-2377
DOI: 10.1186/s12883-024-03899-3
Popis: Abstract Background Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a clinically heterogenous disease and encompasses several distinct clinical variants. Overlap between these variants can pose a diagnostic challenge. We report a case of finger drop variant and acute bulbar palsy overlap as an unusual manifestation of GBS. Case presentation An 81-year-old man presented with dysarthria, dysphagia, and upper limb weakness. Neurological examination revealed impaired tongue protrusion, the finger drop sign, and diminished brachioradial and triceps muscle reflexes. Nerve conduction studies showed reduced amplitudes and decreased velocities in the median and ulnar nerves. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed albuminocytological dissociation and an anti-ganglioside antibody study revealed positivity for GM1, asialo-GM1, GT1a, GD1b, and GQ1b. As GBS was suspected, we initiated intravenous immunoglobulin treatment, resulting in gradual improvement within the next 3 weeks. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of an overlap between the finger drop variant and acute bulbar palsy in GBS, highlighting the importance of considering GBS when patients present with a combination of atypical symptoms. Anti-ganglioside antibodies can be helpful and add diagnostic value in these complex cases.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
Nepřihlášeným uživatelům se plný text nezobrazuje