Guillain-Barre syndrome with unilateral peripheral facial paralysis in a Chinese child

Background Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is an immune-mediated polyradiculoneuropathy with the classic presentation of acute onset neurological symptoms preceded by an infective illness, followed by progressive limb weakness. Unilateral facial paralysis is rarely seen in GBS. Case presentation We reported a child presented with unilateral facial paralysis, limited outward movement of one eye and unilateral lower limb weakness, who was later diagnosed to have GBS. Through reviewing the patients with similar presentation reported previously, we found that the onset time of unilateral facial weakness in relation to other presentations of GBS seemed to be variable, which could be later or earlier than other symptoms, or concomitant. Most of the patients had a relatively good outcome within 2 weeks to 12 months of follow-up. Conclusions Unilateral facial paralysis may be a feature of GBS, albeit a rare thing. Recognising the clinical patterns of such atypical variants of GBS allows for more timely and accurate diagnosis, and for treatment to be initiated without delay.