PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Patwala, Kurvi
AU  - Crump, Nicholas
AU  - De Cruz, Peter
TI  - Guillain-Barré syndrome in association with antitumour necrosis factor therapy: a case of mistaken identity
AID  - 10.1136/bcr-2017-219481
DP  - 2017 Jul 05
TA  - BMJ Case Reports
PG  - bcr-2017-219481
VI  - 2017
4099  - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2017/bcr-2017-219481.short
4100  - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2017/bcr-2017-219481.full
AB  - Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an immune-mediated disease characterised by evolving ascending limb weakness, sensory loss and areflexia. Two-thirds of GBS cases are associated with preceding infection. However, GBS has also been described in association with antitumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapies including infliximab and adalimumab for chronic inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and inflammatory bowel disease. We present the case of a patient who developed GBS while undergoing treatment with adalimumab in combination with azathioprine for severe fistulising Crohn’s disease, and review the literature on neurological adverse events that occur in association with anti-TNF therapy. We also propose an approach to the optimal management of patients who develop debilitating neurological sequelae in the setting of anti-TNF therapy.