Campylobacter jejuni bacteremia and Guillain-Barré syndrome in a renal transplant recipient

In patients who have not undergone transplantation, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is typically preceded by an acute infection often sustained by Campylobacter jejuni. Thus far, in renal transplant recipients, only eight cases of GBS have been reported. In seven patients GBS was attributed to cytomegalovirus infection and in the eighth patient to cyclosporin A neurotoxicity. We report here the case of a GBS in a renal transplant recipient following C. jejuni bacteremia. The infection quickly disappeared after erythromycin and methronidazole therapy. GBS progressively evolved into a paraparesis within 1 week. After reaching a plateau phase, the clinical status improved and the patient was able to walk unassisted after 3 weeks. At his last check-up, 54 months later, the patient was doing well with a functioning graft and only minimal weakness of the lower limbs. Received: 17 February 1998 Received after revision: 7 July 1998 Accepted: 8 July 1998