Guillain-Barre Syndrome following Cushing's Syndrome in a Pregnant Woman: A Case Report

Guillain-Barre syndrome is a neurological disorder that begins with weakness of the limbs and can cause respiratory and cardiac involvement. The subject of this report is a 30-year-old woman who was diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome following recurrent bone fractures and receiving treatment for the Cushing’s syndrome. The patient was referred to a hospital during pregnancy because of generalized pain and weakness in the extremities. Abdominal ultrasound showed a mass in the left adrenal gland and so surgery was performed to remove the mass.
However, the patient's symptoms did not improve after surgery. The patient was asked to consult a neurologist who made a diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome after cerebrospinal fluid was examined. Patient was discharged with personal consent. Four months later, the baby was born with a normal Apgar score, and the general condition of mother and child were evaluated as good. This case demonstrates a rare coincidence of Cushing's disease and Guillain-Barre syndrome. Due to the increase in corticosteroids due to Cushing's syndrome, it is expected that symptoms of Guillain-Barre syndrome would not occur. This case could indicate that there are several mechanisms for development of Guillain-Barre syndrome and that animal models can be helpful in this context.