Severe pulmonary hypertension associated with the acute motor sensory axonal neuropathy subtype of Guillain-Barre syndrome

Kris A. Rooney, Neal J. Thomas

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate pulmonary hypertension associated with acute motor sensory axonal neuropathy subtype of Guillain- Barre syndrome. Guillain-Barre syndrome consists of a group of autoimmune disorders that generally manifest as symmetric, progressive, ascending paralysis. There are five subtypes of Guillain- Barre syndrome, and autonomic involvement has been described in all subtypes, including cardiovascular, vasomotor, or pseudomotor dysfunction of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Design: Case report. Setting: Tertiary care pediatric intensive care unit. Patient: Three-yr-old female patient. Intervention: None. Measurements and Main Results: Serial measurements of pulmonary artery pressure. We report the case of a young girl with acute motor sensory axonal neuropathy who presented with severe cardiovascular collapse secondary to severe pulmonary hypertension. In this patient, multiple factors may have played a role in the development of pulmonary hypertension including autonomic dysfunction, hypoventilation, and immobility as a risk for thrombosis and pulmonary emboli. Conclusion: It is possible that many other individuals suffering from severe forms of Guillain-Barre syndrome, especially those with significant autonomic dysfunction, may actually have undiagnosed and therefore untreated pulmonary hypertension. Therefore, it is recommended that clinicians caring for critically ill children with Guillain-Barre syndrome have a high index of suspicion for pulmonary hypertension and consider echocardiography if there are clinical signs of this potentially fatal process.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)e16-e19
JournalPediatric Critical Care Medicine
Volume11
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2010

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
  • Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine

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