Guillain-Barre variant in the deployed setting

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a pleomorphic condition with multiple clinical presentations. Atypical presentations may elude diagnosis particularly in the deployed setting or austere environment where diagnostic resources are limited. I describe a soldier who developed an unusual GBS variant while deployed to Iraq. Diagnosing and treating GBS in the deployed setting or in a rural, austere environment is challenging, but there are clinical guidelines that can help determine who can be treated locally and who needs evacuation. Recognizing the natural course of the disease and being able to prognosticate progression of the disease is crucial in deployed settings/austere environments. The diagnostic and therapeutic approach to GBS in the deployed setting and potential criteria for theater evacuation are reviewed.