Hati A, Chakraborty U, Chandra A, Biswas P. Hypokalaemia with Guillain-Barré syndrome: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge.
BMJ Case Rep 2022;
15:e249473. [PMID:
35760510 PMCID:
PMC9237892 DOI:
10.1136/bcr-2022-249473]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute-onset quadriparesis is not only debilitating and a grave concern for the patient but also perturbs the clinician as it demands early diagnosis and prompt management to prevent catastrophic outcome due to respiratory failure. Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and hypokalaemia are notorious causes of acute-onset lower motor neuron (LMN) quadriparesis and warrant a rapid evaluation to necessitate early management. However, coexistence of these two entities is extremely rare and may pose a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge and mandates exclusion of either condition to avoid a poor outcome. We hereby report a case of a young woman who presented with an acute-onset LMN quadriparesis, initially found to have significant hypokalaemia with poor response to supplementation and was further evaluated to have an axonal variant of GBS.
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