Guillain-Barré syndrome, pregnancy, and plasmapheresis

The case of Guillain-Barré syndrome (acute inflammatory polyradiculoneuritis) in pregnancy reported here brings the total reported number to 35. The patient had plasmapheresis with no maternal or fetal complications. She did not require mechanical ventilation. This is only the fifth reported case of Guillain-Barré syndrome in the gravid patient involving plasmapheresis. There have been no controlled studies assessing the safety of plasmapheresis in the pregnant patient with the disorder. The possible risks of the procedure need to be weighed against the high maternal mortality rate in such a patient.