Post dengue Guillain Barre syndrome: a rare case scenario

Abstract

Dengue fever is an emerging arboviral disease of great public health importance and has spread to all tropical and subtropical countries. Neurological involvement in dengue fever is quite unusual. Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is one of the rare neurological manifestations of dengue fever which is generally under reported. We here presented with a patient who was initially diagnosed as having dengue fever, based on the clinical manifestations and high IgM titers. On the 6th day of admission, patient developed progressive limb weakness with areflexia. CSF examination showed albuminocytological dissociation and nerve conduction study suggested evidence of demyelinating neuropathy. So the diagnosis of post dengue GBS was made and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) was given for 5 days. Patient responded well with the treatment. So our case report highlights an uncommon neurological complication of dengue infection in the form of GBS which has good prognosis if timely treated and responds well to the same therapy as given for the GBS due to other antecedent etiology.