Acute motor axonal neuropathy associated with pandemic H1N1 influenza A infection.
BACKGROUND
Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a well known entity that has many infectious agents reported as antecedent events. The spectrum of GBS includes acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP), acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN), acute motor sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN), and some other variants like Miller-Fisher syndrome (MFS).


METHODS
Patient with AMAN variant of GBS after severe bilateral pneumonia and ARDS due to the novel pandemic H1N1 influenza A virus is presented.


RESULTS
28-year-old white female was admitted to our Intensive Care Unit during the influenza pandemic because of severe ARDS due to bilateral pneumonia. The course of the disease was complicated with the new onset tetraplegia due to the AMAN variant of GBS. Treatment with plasma exchange was conducted and the patient had satisfactory recovery.


CONCLUSIONS
We report a case of AMAN variant of GBS associated with proven H1N1 influenza A infection. This virus has not been reported previously as the agent of antecedent infection that induced this disorder. Risk factors for other causes of ICU neuromuscular weakness are usually present in the ICU patients and should not be the reason for reluctance in active quest for GBS. Once the diagnosis of GBS is established or suspected the treatment with plasma exchange or intravenous immune globulin is indicated.
Kutlesa
Marko
M
Department of Neuroinfections and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases Dr. Fran Mihaljević, Mirogojska 8, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia. kutlesam@yahoo.com
Santini
Marija
M
Krajinović
Vladimir
V
Raffanelli
Dinko
D
Barsić
Bruno
B
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001369:Axons; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000145:classification / Q000821:virology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000145:classification / Q000821:virology*; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000150:complications; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000209:etiology; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology