Descending paralysis as an atypical presentation of Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Ala Mustafa; Babajide Adio; Alireza Yarahmadi

doi:10.1177/2050313X20986662

Descending paralysis as an atypical presentation of Guillain-Barré Syndrome

SAGE Open Med Case Rep. 2021 Feb 11:9:2050313X20986662. doi: 10.1177/2050313X20986662. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Ala Mustafa¹, Babajide Adio¹, Alireza Yarahmadi²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine Residency, MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center, Mason City, IA, USA.
² Department of Neurology, MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center, Mason City, IA, USA.

Abstract

We herein report a case of a 55-year-old man with an unusual case of Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Its presentation is usually a progression of symmetric muscle weakness that is ascending from the lower extremities making its way more proximal and accompanied by absent or depressed tendon reflexes. Here, the patient exhibited a rare presentation of Guillain-Barré syndrome, where the weakness was ascending upper extremity and descending lower extremity paralysis. The objective of this clinical case report is to highlight this extremely rare descending paralysis presentation of Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

Keywords: Guillain–Barré syndrome; Neurology; acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy; paralysis.

Publication types

Case Reports