Guillain Barré syndrome in late lupus: case report

Abstract

Context: In the literature, there are few cases of Guillain Barré syndrome (GBS) in association with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). There is description of 19 neuropsychiatric syndromes associated with SLE, 12 of the central nervous system (CNS) and 7 of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). 10% of the patients with SLE and neurological manifestations have PNS complications. SLE is considered to have a late onset when it starts above 50 years of age and it consists in, on average, 26% of the total of individuals with SLE, however, in contrast to juvenile lupus, the number of studies is scarce. Case report: A patient diagnosed with late onset SLE who came to the emergency department due to seizure crisis and during the management, the patient developed an atypical form of GBS (motor, facial and bulbar), requiring mechanical ventilation and gastrostomy. The patient obtained a favorable outcome after pulse therapy and plasmapheresis. Conclusion: The atypical form of GBS is a very rare complication in patients with SLE, more studies need to be done for a standardized approach.