We presented a case of probable Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis. A 
39-year-old woman developed easy falling, progressive consciousness disturbance, 
total ophthalmoplegia, and bilateral pyramida tract sign. In serum 
anti-ganglioside antibody assay using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, high 
anti-GQ1b antibody was found. Electroencephalography was dominated by alpha 
activity, superimposed with occasional theta wave bursts. Brain MRI showed 
abnormal signal hyperintensities in the tegmentum of the midbrain to the upper 
pons on T2 weighted images and swelling of the midbrain and pons on T1 weighted 
images. Five days after the onset of the disease, she had respiratory arrest, 
which necessitated artificial ventilation for a few days. Then, she began to 
recover. However, she gained only partial recovery, leaving upward gaze palsy, 
right abducens nerve palsy, pseudbulbar palsy and quadriplegia.