Campylobacter jejuni bacteremia and Guillain-Barré syndrome in a patient with GVHD after allogeneic BMT
Hagensee, M.E.; Benyunes, M.; Miller, J.A.; Spach, D.H.
Bone Marrow Transplantation 13(3): 349-351
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0268-3369 PMID: 8199580 Document Number: 437139
Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare neurologic complication after allogeneic BMT. In the non-transplant setting, Guillain-Barre syndrome has typically been associated with antecedent acute infections and numerous reports have suggested an association between Campylobacter jejuni infection and the subsequent development of Guillain-Barre syndrome. Thus far, however, reports of C. jejuni-associated Guillain-Barre syndrome have been limited to gastrointestinal C. jejuni infections and none has been reported in BMT transplant patients. We report a case of C. jejuni bacteremia associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome that developed in a patient with chronic GVHD approximately 1 year after allogeneic BMT. The patient was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin and intravenous ciprofloxacin and had partial recovery. Our report illustrates that Guillain-Barre syndrome can occur in association with C. jejuni bacteremia and is a rare cause of polyneuropathy after BMT.