Fulminant Guillain-Barre Syndrome Mimicking Clinical Brain Death: A Rare Condition With Bad Outcomes

Abstract

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a disease of the peripheral nervous system characterized by acute areflexic paralysis and albuminocytological dissociation on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Fulminant GBS mimicking clinical brain death has been described in the literature and has overall poor prognosis since patients either die or are left with severe disability. We describe a case of fulminant GBS mimicking clinical brain death where patient died of unexplained asystolic cardiac arrest related to severe dysautonomia. Dysautonomia is a marker of poor prognosis in this patient population.




J Med Cases. 2015;6(7):320-321
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2181w