Guillain-Barré syndrome as a fatal complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection - An autopsy case.

We presented a case of a 57-year-old female, who was tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection and was admitted to a hospital seven days later with signs of early pneumonia. The second day after her admission to the hospital, and nine days after the first positive PCR test, examination showed progressive ascendant weakness of the arms and legs with persisting paresthesia, lab tests showed increased concentration of proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid with albumino-cytological dissociation. She was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). She was on low-flow oxygen support of 3 L/min, with good oxygen saturation (97-99%), without clinical or radiological progression of pneumonia. After receiving a negative PCR test for COVID-19 (11 days after the initial, positive test), four days after admission, she was set to be transferred to a specialized neurology clinic, however, she died unexpectedly during admission. The autopsy showed light to moderate lung edema, signs of moderate to severe coronary atherosclerosis and early myocardial ischemia. Histochemical and immunohistochemical staining of the peripheral nerves sampled from the cervical and brachial plexuses, showed foci of demyelination as well as infiltration with inflammatory cells, predominantly macrophages, and lymphocytes to a lesser degree. It was concluded that the causes of death were a breathing disorder and the paralysis of the diaphragm due to inflammatory polyneuropathy caused by GBS, initiated by SARS-CoV-2 infection. With the lack of similar autopsy cases, we believe that the presented case could be a valuable addition to the understanding of GBS development in SARS-CoV-2 related cases.

Lymphocytic Hypophysitis Successfully Treated with Stereotactic Radiosurgery: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Lymphocytic hypophysitis (LH) is an autoimmune inflammatory infiltration of the pituitary gland, usually with a benign evolution. In rare circumstances the inflammatory process may extend beyond the pituitary and infiltrate the surrounding structures. We present a 42-year-old woman affected by an aggressive form of LH with extension to the cavernous sinus causing internal carotid artery occlusion and right sixth cranial nerve palsy. Prednisone therapy caused severe iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome, and the patient underwent transsphenoidal decompression. The histopathology report was consistent with LH. The patient was symptom free for a short period with reappearance of severe headache, diplopia, and hearing loss (middle ear inflammation) 3 months after surgery. Corticosteroids were reintroduced with the addition of azathioprine, but there was no regression of the pituitary mass. The patient was referred for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) using Gamma Knife (15 Gy to the margin). After 26 months, azathioprine was stopped, and the dose of prednisone was gradually tapered to 7.5 mg/day. Sellar magnetic resonance imaging showed regression of the pituitary mass. After follow-up for > 3 years after SRS, there was no clinical or radiologic evidence of the disease, but carotid arteries remained occluded. The patient developed secondary hypothyroidism and hypogonadism as consequences of SRS. An aggressive form of LH extending beyond the pituitary gland infiltrating surrounding structures is described. It was successfully treated with SRS after failure of transsphenoidal surgery and combined immunosuppressive therapy (prednisone, azathioprine). The review of the literature presents timely information concerning treatment with azathioprine and SRS of patients with an aggressive form of LH.