Guillain-Barré-like syndrome in a child with lead poisoning.

Maddalena Toto, Andrea De Giacomo, Maria Giuseppina Petruzzelli, Franca Dicuonzo, Nicola Santoro, Giovanni Carlo Del Vecchio, Francesco Craig, Lucia Margari

Department of Neurologic and Psychiatric Sciences, Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, University of Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.

Neuropediatrics 2012 Aug

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Lead poisoning is a medical condition caused by increased levels of the heavy metal lead in the body, generally resulting from environmental exposure. Lead poisoning can cause a variety of symptoms which vary depending on the individual and the duration of lead exposure; lead poisoning is more noxious to children than adults, because it can damage the brain and nerve development of children.We report a case of lead poisoning in a 5-year-old girl caused by accidental ingestion of a metal ring. Simultaneously, the child showed anemia, encephalopathy, and peripheral neuropathy with albuminocytological dissociation mimicking Guillain-Barré syndrome.This case suggests that anemia with signs of peripheral and central nervous system damage could be considered as a possible manifestation of lead poisoning in children. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Citation

Maddalena Toto, Andrea De Giacomo, Maria Giuseppina Petruzzelli, Franca Dicuonzo, Nicola Santoro, Giovanni Carlo Del Vecchio, Francesco Craig, Lucia Margari. Guillain-Barré-like syndrome in a child with lead poisoning. Neuropediatrics. 2012 Aug;43(4):217-20