Sepsis-associated Guillain-Barre syndrome

This article reports on the case of a multiple trauma patient, who was admitted to the intensive care unit with haemorrhagic shock and severe hypoxaemia. Following posttraumatic septic shock the patient developed quadriplegia 3 weeks after admittance. After having excluded any traumatic and cerebral origins, an analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid was performed and revealed a "dissociation albuminocytologique". This finding in association with limb quadriplegia led to the diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome. Therapy with high-dose i.v. immunoglobulins led to a complete recovery.