Numbness on the Medical Take: An Atypical Presentation of Guillain-Barre Syndrome With Unilateral Paraesthesia and Rapid Progression to Bulbar Palsy: A Case Report

J Stanley; Q Zhou

doi:10.1002/ccr3.9586

Numbness on the Medical Take: An Atypical Presentation of Guillain-Barre Syndrome With Unilateral Paraesthesia and Rapid Progression to Bulbar Palsy: A Case Report

Clin Case Rep. 2024 Dec 29;13(1):e9586. doi: 10.1002/ccr3.9586. eCollection 2025 Jan.

Authors

J Stanley^{1

2}, Q Zhou¹

Affiliations

¹ Acute Medical Department University Hospital Bristol and Weston Bristol UK.
² Bristol Medical School University of Bristol Bristol UK.

Abstract

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is characterized classically by progressive and symmetrical motor weakness and areflexia. We describe a case of GBS with initially preserved reflexes and power, leading to delayed diagnosis, who latterly required urgent ventilator support and plasmapharesis to highlight the importance of considering atypical presentations of this common condition.

Keywords: Guillain‐Barré syndrome; atypical neurology; bulbar palsy; numbness; paraesthesia.