Guillain-Barre syndrome in a patient with diabetic coma as initial manifestation

Abstract

We report a case of a 39-year-old man, with an acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP), clinically with acute progressive and symmetrical motor weakness of the extremities, weakness of the bulbar and facial muscles. EMG test revealed primary demyelination of peripheric nerves, and CSF examination showed albumino-cytologic dissociation (albumines 2,1 g/l, cells 1/mm³). Patient recovered well after performing 5 consecutive plasma exchange therapy. A particularity in this case, is the diabetic coma, as initial clinic manifestation, followed by Guillain-Barre syndrome, well recovery after plasma exchange. Both diseases had probably the same etiology – an infectious trigger yet not identifi ed.

Keywords

• guillain-barre syndrome
• diabetic coma
• infectious trigger
• plasma exchange