Guillain-Barré syndrome more than a motor disorder: Analysis of 20 cases with vestibulocochlear nerve involvement

Introduction: Case reports have documented vestibulocochlear nerve involvement in Guillain-Barré syndrome, but its frequency is still unclear. This study aims to describe possible involvement of the vestibulocochlear nerve in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome, with hearing loss a potential outcome. Methods: In this observational, descriptive, prospective study we performed auditory evoked potentials in a sample of consecutive patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome admitted to a university hospital in Bogotá, Colombia, between July 2019 and March 2021. Results: The study recruited 20 patients, 15 (75%) of them male, ages 19-79 years (mean 52); 8 (40%) had a history of previous infections. In 14 patients (70%), the auditory evoked potentials were abnormal. They had changes in the central conduction interval I-V with wave I to wave III delays, indicative of peripheral involvement of the vestibulocochlear nerve. Conclusions: Results in this study suggest that vestibulocochlear nerve involvement is frequent in Guillain-Barré syndrome. The sample size is small, however, and larger studies are needed to enable correlation analysis.