Case report: Guillain-Barré syndrome and possible association with Lyme disease

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute inflammatory demyelinating or axon-damaging polyneuropathy. It is characterized by sensory, motor and reflex disorder, damaged cranial nerves, autonomic disorders, and, less frequently, damage to the central nervous system. This is a life-threatening condit...

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Main Authors: I. Muliuolis, E. Tilindytė, R. Samaitienė
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Vilnius University Press 2019-12-01
Series:Neurologijos seminarai
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.journals.vu.lt/neurologijos_seminarai/article/view/27771
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author I. Muliuolis
E. Tilindytė
R. Samaitienė
author_facet I. Muliuolis
E. Tilindytė
R. Samaitienė
author_sort I. Muliuolis
collection DOAJ
description Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute inflammatory demyelinating or axon-damaging polyneuropathy. It is characterized by sensory, motor and reflex disorder, damaged cranial nerves, autonomic disorders, and, less frequently, damage to the central nervous system. This is a life-threatening condition that urges patients to seek emergency treatment for progressive pain, paralysis and/or respiratory distress that can cause death in the absence of timely treatment. Early diagnosis and treatment of this condition are very important in preventing fatal outcome. Although many infections are associated with the etiology of GBS, correlation with Lyme disease is determined very rarely. Lyme disease is a tick-borne Borrelia burgdorferi infection that can cause lesions of multiple organ systems: usually the skin, joints, nervous system, and the heart. This case report presents an 8-year-old boy who was admitted to the hospital because of progressive weakness in the extremities, meningeal signs, bilateral facial nerve paresis, and areflexia. The patient was diagnosed with GBS and Lyme disease; and symptoms of the patient gradually disappeared following the treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin and ceftriaxone. Although the diagnosis of GBS was definite, the diagnosis of Lyme disease was complicated by a variety of circumstances which we analyse in this article. We also discuss a possible connection between the two pathologies.
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series Neurologijos seminarai
spelling doaj-art-c98da437a60d4f9b919e168cc4ba73cc2025-01-20T18:22:52ZengVilnius University PressNeurologijos seminarai1392-30642424-59172019-12-01234(82)10.29014/ns.2019.29Case report: Guillain-Barré syndrome and possible association with Lyme diseaseI. Muliuolis 0E. Tilindytė 1R. Samaitienė 2Vilnius University, LithuaniaVilnius University, LithuaniaVilnius University, Lithuania Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute inflammatory demyelinating or axon-damaging polyneuropathy. It is characterized by sensory, motor and reflex disorder, damaged cranial nerves, autonomic disorders, and, less frequently, damage to the central nervous system. This is a life-threatening condition that urges patients to seek emergency treatment for progressive pain, paralysis and/or respiratory distress that can cause death in the absence of timely treatment. Early diagnosis and treatment of this condition are very important in preventing fatal outcome. Although many infections are associated with the etiology of GBS, correlation with Lyme disease is determined very rarely. Lyme disease is a tick-borne Borrelia burgdorferi infection that can cause lesions of multiple organ systems: usually the skin, joints, nervous system, and the heart. This case report presents an 8-year-old boy who was admitted to the hospital because of progressive weakness in the extremities, meningeal signs, bilateral facial nerve paresis, and areflexia. The patient was diagnosed with GBS and Lyme disease; and symptoms of the patient gradually disappeared following the treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin and ceftriaxone. Although the diagnosis of GBS was definite, the diagnosis of Lyme disease was complicated by a variety of circumstances which we analyse in this article. We also discuss a possible connection between the two pathologies. https://www.journals.vu.lt/neurologijos_seminarai/article/view/27771Guillain-Barré syndromeLyme diseasemolecular mimicrydiagnostic difficulties
spellingShingle I. Muliuolis
E. Tilindytė
R. Samaitienė
Case report: Guillain-Barré syndrome and possible association with Lyme disease
Neurologijos seminarai
Guillain-Barré syndrome
Lyme disease
molecular mimicry
diagnostic difficulties
title Case report: Guillain-Barré syndrome and possible association with Lyme disease
title_full Case report: Guillain-Barré syndrome and possible association with Lyme disease
title_fullStr Case report: Guillain-Barré syndrome and possible association with Lyme disease
title_full_unstemmed Case report: Guillain-Barré syndrome and possible association with Lyme disease
title_short Case report: Guillain-Barré syndrome and possible association with Lyme disease
title_sort case report guillain barre syndrome and possible association with lyme disease
topic Guillain-Barré syndrome
Lyme disease
molecular mimicry
diagnostic difficulties
url https://www.journals.vu.lt/neurologijos_seminarai/article/view/27771
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