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Open Access 01-12-2021 | Guillain-Barré Syndrome | Case report
Guillain–Barré syndrome with bilateral facial diplegia secondary to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection: a case report
Published in: Journal of Medical Case Reports | Issue 1/2021
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Background
The new coronavirus, known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) owing to its similarity to the previous severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), is characterized by causing, in most patients, nonspecific symptoms similar to those of the common flu. It has been reported that many coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients presented neurological symptoms that involve the central and peripheral nervous systems. In addition, there have been several reports of patients who presented Guillain–Barré syndrome related to COVID-19 , with sensory and motor compromise in the extremities.
Case presentation
In this report, we describe a rare case of Guillain–Barré syndrome in a 50-year-old Hispanic male with bilateral facial palsy as the only neurological manifestation, following SARS-CoV-2 infection. A complete neurophysiological study showed severe axonal neuropathy of the right and left facial nerves.
Conclusion
Regardless of severity, clinicians must to be aware of any neurological manifestation generated by COVID-19 and start performing more neurophysiological tests to determine if the infection induces an axonal, myelin, or mixed involvement of the peripheral nervous system.