Open AccessRelapsing Guillain-Barre syndrome in pregnancy and postpartum
Author(s) -
Sankaranarayanan Meenakshisundaram,
Krishnan Swaminathan,
Somalinga Nagendran Karthik,
S. Vijayakumar Bharathi
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
annals of indian academy of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.427
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1998-3549
pISSN - 0972-2327
DOI - 10.4103/0972-2327.138527
Subject(s) - medicine , pregnancy , guillain barre syndrome , postpartum period , obstetrics , neonatal intensive care unit , pediatrics , genetics , biology
Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) rarely complicates pregnancy, but can be associated with high maternal and perinatal morbidity if not properly identified and treated. A high index of suspicion, supportive measures, access to intensive care unit and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy are cornerstones of management in GBS complicating pregnancy. Neurologists and Obstetricians should be aware of the risks of relapsing GBS in the immediate postpartum period. Surgery and anesthesia may be triggers for relapse in association with an overall increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines in the postpartum period. We report a unique case of GBS complicating pregnancy in the third trimester followed by a relapse in the postpartum period. She made a good recovery with supportive measures and a repeat course of IVIG during the relapse.