Pharyngeal-cervical-brachial variant of Guillain–Barré syndrome following dengue infection: A rare syndrome with rare association

Abstract

Pharyngeal-cervical-brachial (PCB) variant is a rare localized variant of Guillain–Barré syndrome that presents with a rapidly progressive oropharyngeal and cervicopharyngeal weakness associated with areflexia in the upper limb. Here, we are describing a case of a 20-year-old female who had a preceding history of fever with thrombocytopenia that was found to be dengue ELISA positive. This was followed by rapidly progressive weakness of cervical, bulbar, and bilateral facial muscles along with areflexia of upper limb. Nerve conduction study showed a reduced compound muscle action potential amplitude in the upper limb, and the CSF examination showed albuminocytological dissociation. The patient was given intravenous immunoglobulin, and she started improving within 3 days of commencing the treatment.

Keywords

• Pharyngeal-cervical-brachial variant of Guillain–Barré Syndrome
• Postinfectious bulbar palsy
• regional variant of Guillain–Barré syndrome