Guillain-Barre Syndrome in Orthotopic Liver Transplant Recipient

Exp Clin Transplant. 2021 Nov;19(11):1238-1240. doi: 10.6002/ect.2020.0286. Epub 2021 May 6.

Abstract

Guillain-Barre syndrome is an acute immune-mediated demyelinating, polyneuropathy, which is usually provoked by a preceding infection. Guillain-Barre syndrome lies within the spectrum of disimmune neuropathies and usually occurs in immunocompromised patients because it is theoretically contradictory. Guillain-Barre syndrome in liver transplant recipients has been rarely reported. Here, we present a case of a patient who had undergone a deceased donor liver transplant and who developed symptoms of Guillain-Barre syndrome in the posttransplant period. We postulated that reactivation of varicella-zoster virus in our patient triggered the autoimmune-related peripheral neuropathy leading to Guillain-Barre syndrome; another etiology for this complication may be autoimmune hepatitis, as also shown in our patient.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Autoimmune Diseases* / complications
  • Guillain-Barre Syndrome* / complications
  • Guillain-Barre Syndrome* / etiology
  • Humans
  • Liver Transplantation* / adverse effects
  • Living Donors
  • Treatment Outcome