title: [Pharyngeal-cervical-brachial variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome].
abstract: Guillain-Barré syndrome is an acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. Infrequent loco-regional variants, like the pharyngeal-cervical-brachial, have been described. We report the case of a 63-year-old male admitted to the emergency department with cervical and upper limb weakness, inability to swallow and chew, he also presented a rapidly progressive acute respiratory failure due to weakness of the respiratory muscles secondary to the pharyngeal-cervical-brachial variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome. This variant, although unusual, presents a well-defined clinical pattern and diagnostic criteria, which is important in order to start an early treatment to improve the prognosis, not always favorable, to these patients.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, España. E-mail: ipinal@vhebron.net.
authors.forename: Iago
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pinal-Fernández
authors.forename: Vanesa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Garrigasait Vilaseca
authors.forename: Andreu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-Codina
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aranda Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005121:Extremities; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal; D009960:Oropharynx; D010608:Pharyngeal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D012132:Respiratory Muscles
keywords: Guillain-Barré syndrome; acute demyelinating polyneuropathy; pharyngeal-cervical-brachial variant