Successful treatment of refractory Guillain-Barré syndrome with alemtuzumab in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
This is the case of a 79-year-old man with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who presented with Guillain-Barré syndrome with features overlapping with the Miller Fisher syndrome and Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis and positive antiganglioside GQ1b antibody about 6 months after treatment with bendamustine and rituximab. His clinical and neurologic condition continued to deteriorate despite sequential treatment with corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin and plasmapheresis, but in the end, he had a complete and durable response to treatment with alemtuzumab.
Dimitrios
D
Tzachanis
Ayad
A
Hamdan
Erik J
EJ
Uhlmann
Robin M
RM
Joyce
D000368:Aged; D000074323:Alemtuzumab; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D000069461:Bendamustine Hydrochloride; D000074301:CD52 Antigen; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003244:Consciousness Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000276:immunology; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000150:complications; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019846:Miller Fisher Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D009588:Nitrogen Mustard Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D010956:Plasmapheresis; D012074:Remission Induction; D000069283:Rituximab; D014775:Virus Activation
D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D000074301:CD52 Antigen; C000613862:CD52 protein, human; D005732:Gangliosides; D006023:Glycoproteins; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D009588:Nitrogen Mustard Compounds; D000074323:Alemtuzumab; D000069283:Rituximab; C039129:GQ1b ganglioside; D000069461:Bendamustine Hydrochloride; D008775:Methylprednisolone