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Review
. 2018 Jan 23;18(1):50.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-018-2959-2.

Guillain-Barre syndrome caused by hepatitis E infection: case report and literature review

Xiaoqin Zheng  1 , Liang Yu  1 , Qiaomai Xu  1 , Silan Gu  1 , Lingling Tang  2
Affiliations
Review

Guillain-Barre syndrome caused by hepatitis E infection: case report and literature review

Xiaoqin Zheng et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis E infection is a global disorder that causes substantial morbidity. Numerous neurologic illnesses, including Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), have occurred in patients with hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection.

Case presentation: We report a 58 year-old non-immunocompromised man who presented with progressive muscle weakness in all extremities during an episode of acute HEV infection, which was confirmed by measuring the anti-HEV IgM antibodies in the serum. Both cerebrospinal fluid examination and electrophysiological study were in agreement with the diagnosis of HEV-associated GBS. Following the treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin, the patient's neurological condition improved rapidly.

Conclusions: HEV infection should be strongly considered in patients with neurological symptoms, especially those with elevated levels of liver enzymes.

Keywords: Extra-hepatic manifestations; Guillain–Barre syndrome; Hepatitis E infection; Viral hepatitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Ethical approval for this investigation was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, and the reference number was 2017658.

Consent for publication

Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and any accompanying images. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the Editor-in-Chief of this journal.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Medical History. IVIg: intravenous immunoglobulin; MPS: Methylprednisolone; LP: lumbar puncture
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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