Miller-Fisher Syndrome and Guillain-Barre Syndrome overlap syndrome in a patient post Oxford-AstraZeneca SARS-CoV-2 vaccination

We describe a patient who developed bilateral oculomotor nerve palsy, ataxia, facial diplegia and lower limb weakness 2 weeks post-Oxford-AstraZeneca SARS-CoV2 vaccination, consistent with Miller-Fisher syndrome (MFS) and Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) overlap syndrome. Although some features of the patient's presentation were typical of recently reported cases of a rare GBS variant post-Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccination, including severe facial weakness and a lack of respiratory involvement, to our knowledge this is the first reported case of MFS associated with SARS-CoV2 vaccination. While postvaccination GBS remains rare, it appears to have a favourable prognosis, and recognising this entity is therefore important for patient counselling and monitoring for potential complications.

Automated summary

This case highlights the importance of recognizing rare neurological complications post-vaccination, particularly GBS and MFS syndrome overlap, which have potential implications for patient counselling and monitoring.