• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.835-838
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• 2002

A 68-year-old man with Guillain-Barre syndrome after the resection of right upper lobe for squamous cell lung cancer is presented. He developed a sudden, symmetric, extremity weakness, respiratory insufficiency, and sensory ataxia on postoperative day 6. He was intubated emergently and placed on a ventilator. Electrodiagnostic studies were performed on days 2, 20, and 40 following the onset of weakness. Motor nerve conduction abnormalities were the predominant findings. Prolonged motor distal latencies, temporal dispersion, and partial motor conduction blocks were present and formed the diagnostic features of Guillain-Barre syndrome. With supportive care and additive use of intravenous immunoglobulin, the illness resolved 6 weeks later after the onset of weakness.