Guillain-Barré Syndrome Mimicking Lumbar Spinal Stenosis with Segmental Weakness in L5-S1 Myotomes.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome Mimicking Lumbar Spinal Stenosis with Segmental Weakness in L5-S1 Myotomes.

We herein report two cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) mimicking lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Both cases were initially diagnosed as LSS based on prominent segmental weakness in the L5 and S1 myotomes and coexisting LSS on magnetic resonance imaging. However, neurological and electrophysiological examinations revealed abnormalities that extended to the upper extremities, although slight, prompting us to suspect GBS. Subsequently, serum antiganglioside antibodies and remarkable responsiveness to intravenous immunoglobulin therapy confirmed GBS. We suspect that the focal blood-nerve barrier disruption due to preexisting LSS might have contributed to the segmental weakness in this atypical GBS case.