Pharyngo-Cervico-Brachial Variant of Guillain-Barré Syndrome: A Case Report
Jimmy Ulloa, MD1*; Cristina Perez, MD1; Sofía Urtasun, MD1; Rafael Villino, MD1
1Department of Neurology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
*Corresponding Author: Jimmy Ulloa, MD, Department of Neurology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
https://doi.org/10.58624/SVOANE.2025.06.022
Received: July 17, 2025
Published: August 05, 2025
Citation: Ulloa J, Perez C, Urtasun S, Villino R. Pharyngo-Cervico-Brachial Variant of Guillain-Barre Syndrome: A Case Report. SVOA Neurology 2025, 6:4, 112-114. doi. 10.58624/SVOANE.2025.06.022
Abstract
Objective: To report a case of a patient with Pharyngo-Cervico-Brachial syndrome, as an unsual variant of Guillain Barre Syndrome.
Methods: Patient data were obtained from medical records from “Clí nica Universidad de Navarra”, Pamplona, Spain.
Results: We report the case of a 41-year-old male with no relevant medical history or recent vaccinations, who presented to the emergency department with a 24-hour history of progressive dysphagia, dysarthria, choking episodes, and ascending paresthesias involving the limbs and tongue. Neurological examination revealed moderate dysarthria, nasal voice, weakness of soft palate elevation, and generalized areflexia, without motor or sensory deficits in the limbs or ocular motility impairment. Persistent tachycardia was observed during hospitalization. Brain MRI was unremarkable. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed albumin-cytological dissociation. Anti-ganglioside antibodies (anti-GT1a, anti-GT1b, and anti-GQ1b) were detected. Electrophysiological studies showed a mild reduction in motor and sensory nerve conduction amplitudes in the upper limbs, with normal findings in the lower limbs. The patient received intravenous immunoglobulin (2 g/kg over 5 days) with good tolerance and progressive clinical improvement.
Keywords: Guillain-Barré syndrome, anti-ganglioside antibodies, Pharyngo-Cervico-Brachial, anti-GT1a, anti-GQ1b.
