Postoperative Guillain-Barré syndrome following multiple procedures: A case report

Abstract

Postoperative Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare and poorly understood phenomenon. We present the case of a 73-year-old female with cervical myelopathy who developed a GBS variant, acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN), following surgical decompression. The patient's initial presentation was consistent with cervical myelopathy, but she experienced a rapid postoperative neurological decline characterized by progressive weakness and areflexia. This unusual timeline, along with the patient having undergone an esophagogastroduodenoscopy just four days prior to her hospital admission, presents a unique clinical puzzle. This case adds to the limited literature on postoperative GBS and suggests that multiple procedures within a short timeframe may increase the risk of developing the syndrome. We emphasize the need for clinicians to consider GBS in the differential diagnosis for postoperative progressive weakness and to utilize advanced diagnostic tools like electrodiagnostic studies for prompt and accurate management.