Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis, an uncommon presentation in a child: a case report

Abstract

Abstract Background The typical clinical and radiological presentation of Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis (BBE) has been highlighted in this case report. Case presentation Bickerstaff encephalitis is a rare autoimmune inflammatory disorder and is considered a subtype of Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) along with Miller Fisher syndrome. The diagnosis of BBE is largely clinical, though laboratory tests and imaging can be of supportive value. We report a case of a 5-year-old child who presented with a classical clinical triad of BBE with characteristic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. Conclusions BBE is a rare disease with very few cases being reported with typical clinical and radiological findings. Hence, we reported a typical case of BBE to make an addition to the available literature.