COVID-19 and Guillain–Barré Syndrome: A Case Report and Review of Literature

COVID-19 and Guillain–Barré Syndrome: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Matteo Cotta Ramusino, Matteo Cotta Ramusino, Alfredo Costa, Alfredo Costa, Mauro Ceroni, Antonio Zito, Enrico Alfonsi, Diego Franciotta, Massimiliano Todisco, Massimiliano Todisco, Matteo Gastaldi, Mauro Ceroni

During the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Northern Italy, we observed a 57-year-old man developing acute motor-sensory axonal neuropathy, a variant of Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS), 12 days after severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Similarly to other bacterial and viral infections, dysregulation of the immune system due to post-infectious mechanisms, such as the molecular mimicry, could lead to an indirect damage of the peripheral nervous system related to SARS-CoV-2. GBS causes motor dysfunctions that are not easily recognizable in non-neurological settings or in patients requiring ventilatory assistance. Several reports also suggested that GBS and Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS) could be neurological complications of COVID-19. Therefore, we performed a review of the 29 articles so far published, describing 33 GBS cases and five MFS cases associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. We recommend awareness of this rare, but treatable, neurological syndrome, which may also determine a sudden and otherwise unexplained respiratory deterioration in COVID-19 patients.

2020

covid-19, SARS-CoV-2, Guillain–Barre syndrome, Miller Fisher syndrome, Post-infectious, AMSAN

10.3389/fneur.2020.00909

Epidemiology and Health

Korean Society of Epidemiology

Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system