A case of Guillain-Barrè syndrome following Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis

Guillain-Barrè syndrome (GBS) is the most important cause of acute neuromuscular paralysis in western countries and it is preceded in almost all cases by an infectious disease such as Campylobacter Jejuni or Cytomegalovirus. However, GBS associated with previous bacterial endocarditis is very rare. We report the case of a 74-year-old man with GBS following Staphylococcus Aureus endocarditis affecting aortic valve. Although the absolute incidence of GBS is low, the present case stresses the need to consider GBS in patients developing neurological symptoms following any infectious illness, such as endocarditis, and highlights the challenging problem of rehabilitation and surgical management in these patients.