Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria (Jan 2006)

Episodes of Guillain-Barré syndrome associated with the acute phase of HIV-1 infection and with recurrence of viremia

  • Castro Gleusa de,
  • Bastos Patrícia Gomes,
  • Martinez Roberto,
  • Figueiredo José Fernando de Castro

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 64, no. 3A
pp. 606 – 608

Abstract

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We report a severe case of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) characterized by flaccid areflexive tetraplegia and signs of autonomic instability related to acute HIV-1 infection, and the occurrence of relapse episodes coinciding with the detection of HIV-1 RNA in blood during the phase of irregular treatment with antiretroviral agents. The patient has been asymptomatic for 3 years and has an HIV-1 load below the limit of detection. The recurrence of GBS in this case may be related to alterations of the immunologic response caused by disequilibrium in the host-HIV relationship due to the increase in HIV-1 viremia.

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