Guillain-Barré Syndrome Secondary to Cytomegalovirus Infection in a Pediatric Kidney Transplant Patient

ABSTRACT

The association between Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) is already well established in the literature, first reported in 1967. However, this association is rare in solid organ transplant patients, although the incidence of symptomatic CMV infection is higher in this population. Due to its potential severity, high morbidity and mortality, the possibility of GBS cannot be ruled out in the case of neurological complications in transplant patients. In this report, a case of GBS secondary to CMV is described in an eight-year-old kidney transplant patient in the pediatric age group, an interval with an even greater scarcity of reports on this association. The patient had negative antibodies (IgG and IgM) for CMV in pre-transplant tests, while the donor had positive IgG antibodies, meaning a higher risk of developing the disease. The clinical condition began approximately two months after the transplant, with classic symptoms and the evolution of GBS. The clinical aspects, diagnosis, treatment and evolution of the disease are discussed, in addition to the evidence in the world literature.

Descriptors
Kidney Transplant; Child; Guillain-Barré Syndrome; Cytomegalovirus