Peculiar unpleasant dysgeusia as the sole initial symptom of Guillain-Barré syndrome

Abstract

Dysgeusia is rare in Guillain-Barré syndrome, particularly as the initial symptom. We herein report the case of a 59-year-old woman who presented with only dysgeusia as the initial symptom of Guillain-Barré syndrome, followed by gradually worsening muscle weakness and bilateral sensory disturbances in the extremities. Her dysgeusia was so unpleasant that she could not eat anything, so she received nasogastric tube feeding without dysphasia. We speculate that the dysgeusia in our patient was mainly caused by inflammation of the chorda tympani nerves. Guillain-Barré syndrome should be considered a possible cause of acute dysgeusia.