Background: Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis (BBE) and Fisher syndrome (FS) are immune-mediated diseases associated with anti-ganglioside antibodies, specifically the anti-GQ1b IgG antibody. These two diseases potentially lie on a continuous spectrum with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). There are some reports of family cases of GBS and fewer of FS. However, there are no reports of family cases of BBE and FS.
Case presentation: We report a familial case of an 18-year-old son who had BBE and his 52-year-old mother diagnosed with FS within 10 days. The son showed impaired consciousness 1 week after presenting with upper respiratory symptoms and was brought to our hospital by his mother. He showed decreased tendon reflexes, limb ataxia, albuminocytologic dissociation in his spinal fluid, and positive serum anti-GQ1b antibodies. Haemophilus influenzae was cultured from his sputum. He was diagnosed with BBE and treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy, which led to an improvement in symptoms. The mother presented with upper respiratory symptoms 3 days after her son was hospitalized. Seven days later, she was admitted to the hospital with diplopia due to limited abduction of the left eye. She showed mild ataxia and decreased tendon reflexes. Her blood was positive for anti-GQ1b antibodies. She was diagnosed with FS and treated with IVIg, which also led to symptomatic improvement.
Conclusions: There are no previous reports of familial cases of BBE and FS; therefore, this valuable case may contribute to the elucidation of the relationship between genetic predisposition and the pathogenesis of BBE and FS.
Keywords: Anti-GQ1b antibody; Bickerstaff’s brainstem encephalitis; Case report; Familial; Fisher syndrome; Haemophilus influenzae.