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Diphtheritic neuropathy
Author(s) -
Cléange Alain,
Meyrignac Christian,
Roualdes Brigitte,
Degos JeanDenis,
Gherardi Romain K.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.880181217
Subject(s) - medicine , sore throat , dysphagia , dermatology , swallowing , serology , polyneuropathy , diphtheria , differential diagnosis , optic neuropathy , pediatrics , immunology , surgery , pathology , vaccination , antibody , ophthalmology , optic nerve
A 29‐year‐old Haitian man had a sore throat with a marked tonsillar exudate followed by the onset of increasingly blurred vision with swallowing difficulties and, then, a diffuse acute demyelinating neuropathy. Cerebrospinal fluid showed moderate pleiocytosis and elevated protein content. Serological testing for diphtheria, but not for tetanus and poliomyelitis, was markedly positive. Other tests including HIV1 and 2, HTLV1 and Lyme disease were negative. Diphtheritic neuropathy should be considered in the differential diagnosis of Guillain–Barré syndrome in nonvaccinated patients. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.