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Guillain-Barre syndrome in a 7-month-old boy successfully applied plasma exchange
Sanem Eren Akarcan1, Rana İşgüder1, Ünsal Yılmaz2
1Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Dr. Behçet Uz Children's Training and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey.
Insights
Guillain-Barré syndrome is rare in infants. This case study shows plasma exchange combined with IVIG effectively treated a 7-month-old infant with Guillain-Barré syndrome, suggesting it
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Clinical Case Study
Background:
- Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare autoimmune disorder causing acute flaccid paralysis in children.
- Established treatments like IVIG and plasma exchange exist for older patients, but data on infants is scarce.
- GBS incidence is very low in children under 2 years old.
Observation:
- A 7-month-old infant presented with progressive weakness, feeding difficulties, and constipation over 10 days.
- Clinical and electromyographical findings confirmed axonal Guillain-Barré syndrome.
- The infant was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit for management.
Findings:
- The infant received treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and plasma exchange.
- The patient demonstrated a full recovery from the paralysis and associated symptoms.
- Plasma exchange was utilized in an infant as young as 7 months of age.
Implications:
- Plasma exchange may be a safe and effective treatment option for infants diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome.
- This case contributes valuable data on the use of plasma exchange in very young GBS patients.
- Further research is warranted to confirm the safety and efficacy of plasma exchange in infant GBS cases.
Abstract:
Despite being the most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis in children Guillain-Barré syndrome has a low incidence under 18 years old, and is even rarer under the age of 2. Established treatment regimens include intravenous immunoglobulin and plasma exchange in older children and adults. However very limited data are available for the efficacy and safety of plasma exchange in infants younger than 12 month-old. This article presents the experience of plasma exchange in the case of 7-month-old boy diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome. A 7-month-old boy was referred to the pediatric intensive care unit with a 10-day history of progressive weakness, feeding difficulty and constipation. He was diagnosed with axonal Guillain-Barré syndrome on the basis of clinical and electromyographical findings. The patient recovered fully with intravenous immunoglobulin and plasma exchange. Plasma exchange may be a safe option in the treatment in infants with Guillain-Barré syndrome as young as 7-month-age.
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