A Girl With Bilateral Temporomandibular Joint Pain, Generalized Arthralgias, and Inability to Walk

Abstract

The authors present the case of a 6.5-year-old girl with bilateral temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, generalized arthralgias, inability to walk, and absence of deep tendon reflexes in the context of Guillain—Barrè syndrome. TMJ pain was the sole manifestation for 3 days, before other typical symptoms appeared, an issue that initially led to an improper diagnosis. A thorough clinical examination along with laboratory and radiographic evaluation excluded other possible causes of TMJ pain. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case of Guillain—Barrè syndrome in the pediatric population initially presenting with bilateral TMJ pain. Guillain—Barrè syndrome may be quite atypical in its expression, especially in young children, with pain being a common presenting symptom, and pediatricians should be alert to avoid misdiagnosis.