[A case of anti-ganglioside antibody-positive Guillain-Barré syndrome with asymmetrical muscle weakness throughout the course of the disease].

Abstract

A 56-year-old woman who presented with left drop foot and low back pain a week after the onset of diarrhea. Neurological symptoms progressed for a week and gradually improved thereafter. No weakness was observed in upper limbs and clearly asymmetrical muscle weakness was observed in left lower limbs during the course of the disease. Nerve conduction study demonstrated absent motor responses in the left tibial and fibular nerves, and compound muscle action potentials in the right tibial nerve was decreased in amplitude without conduction slowing. Serum IgG anti-GalNAc-GD1a antibody and anti-ganglioside complex antibodies were positive. Based on these findings, we diagnosed her as a rare variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) with marked asymmetrical muscle weakness. In the literature, GBS patients with asymmetrical muscle weakness often have anti-ganglioside antibodies associated with acute motor axonal neuropathy. A detailed history taking and information on the clinical course are helpful for accurate diagnosis of GBS with atypical distribution of weakness.