Fatal Autonomic Dysfunction Due to Guillain-Barre Syndrome After Cardiac Surgery

Abstract

Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare peripheral neuropathy, appears to occur more often in patients who have recently undergone surgery than in the general population. However, the pathophysiologic relationship between surgery and Guillain-Barre syndrome is elusive. Few cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome after cardiac surgery have been reported. Autonomic dysfunction, a serious complication of Guillain-Barre syndrome, has not been previously reported after cardiac surgery.