A case of Guillain-Barre syndrome in the oldest

We herein describe the case of a 90-year-old man. He had been treated for type II diabetes mellitus for over twenty years. One day he noticed weakness in the bilateral upper limbs. The next morning the symptoms extended to the bilateral lower limbs. As a result, he was admitted to Shimane University Hospital. MRI showed mild compression of the cervical spinal cord, but it did not account for his neurological symptoms. Because his quadriplegia progressed, we examined the cerebrospinal fluid with albuminocytologic dissociation. A nerve conduction study showed an axonal neuropathy pattern. We diagnosed Guillain-Barre syndrome and started intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy 5 mg/kg on the fifth day after admission. All deep tendon reflexes were absent during the treatment. He was able to get up one week later and could walk by himself two weeks later. Guillain-Barre syndrome is a treatable disease and this disorder should be taken into consideration even if an elderly person presents with quadriplegia.