Skip to main content
Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection logoLink to Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection
letter
. 2021 Oct 29;62(3):426. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2021.10.038

Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Facial Diplegia, and Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine

PMCID: PMC8554006  PMID: 35065856

To the Editor:

We would like to share our thoughts on “Guillain-Barre Syndrome Presenting as Facial Diplegia after COVID-19 Vaccination: A Case Report” (1). Rossetti et al. stated that “It is critical for emergency physicians to be aware of the manifold presentations of GBS for early recognition . . . worldwide vaccination campaign in response to the COVID-19 pandemic” (1). Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) after vaccination is a possible adverse event after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. It is necessary to exclude other possible causes by means of serologic examination for other infections. Indeed, another possible cause of the problem is hyperviscosity after vaccination. After COVID-19 vaccination, hyperviscosity can be induced and hyperviscosity is a possible cause of a temporary manifestation, such as GBS and diplegia (2, 3, 4).

References

  • 1.Rossetti A, Gheihman G, O'Hare M, Kosowsky JM. Guillain-Barre syndrome presenting as facial diplegia after COVID-19 vaccination: a case report. J Emerg Med. 2021 doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2021.07.062. ] [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 2.Joob B, Wiwanitkit V. Expected viscosity after COVID-19 vaccination, hyperviscosity and previous COVID-19. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost. 2021;27 doi: 10.1177/10760296211020833. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 3.Abrams RMC, Elder GA. Safety of therapeutic plasma exchange for the treatment of Guillain-Barre syndrome in polycythemia vera. Neurologist. 2018;23:185–187. doi: 10.1097/NRL.0000000000000197. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 4.Goldberg K, Wirth FH, Hathaway WE, et al. Neonatal hyperviscosity. II. Effect of partial plasma exchange transfusion. Pediatrics. 1982;69:419–425. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Emergency Medicine are provided here courtesy of Elsevier

RESOURCES