# Two Frontlines, One Diagnosis: Family Medicine-Neurology Collaboration Enables Early Recognition and Treatment of Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy in a Diabetic Patient

## TL;DR

A diabetic patient with neuropathy was diagnosed with GBS through collaboration between family medicine and neurology, leading to successful treatment.

## Contribution

Highlights the value of interdisciplinary collaboration in diagnosing GBS in patients with comorbid neuropathies.

## Key findings

- A 36-year-old diabetic patient developed acute paralysis and was diagnosed with AIDP.
- IVIG treatment led to clinical improvement in the patient.
- Collaboration between specialties enabled early diagnosis despite overlapping symptoms.

## Abstract

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute, immune-mediated polyradiculoneuropathy that often presents with rapidly progressive, symmetrical weakness and areflexia, typically following an infectious illness. Its recognition may be delayed in patients with underlying diabetic neuropathy due to overlapping sensory symptoms. We present the case of a 36-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic distal neuropathic pain who developed acute bilateral lower-extremity paralysis after a self-limited viral illness. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed albuminocytologic dissociation, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) excluded cord compression. The diagnosis of acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) was established, and treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) led to clinical improvement. This case underscores the importance of collaboration between family medicine, emergency, and neurology in the early identification and management of GBS, even in the presence of comorbid neuropathies.