Acute kidney injury as a complication of vasculitic polyneuropathy mimicking Guillain-Barre syndrome with positive anti-GM1 antibodies

A 69-year-old male patient presented with acute ascending symmetric areflexic quadriplegia following an upper respiratory tract infection. The clinical presentation was initially typical of Guillain-Barre syndrome and was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin; however, he later developed acute kidney injury requiring hemodialysis. A renal biopsy showed medium-size arteritis compatible with polyarteritis nodosa (PAN). Subsequent immunological testing revealed positive anti-GM1 antibodies not previously reported in association with PAN. The patient was treated with methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide as well as plasmapheresis. After 40 days, the patient made good renal functional recovery and was discharged for neurorehabilitation.