Dr. Jennefer Portillo de Posadas

Doctor's Profile

“My philosophy of life is to improve the patient’s quality of life with an accurate diagnosis and the right treatment.”

Neurology is the medical science that studies the nervous system and all its diseases. To understand nervous system diseases, we must take into account that the nervous system is made up of the cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, spinal nerves, and spinal cord.

The diseases that a neurologist treats range from headaches, neuromuscular diseases, and neuropathies which are alterations of the peripheral nerves, causing weakness and numbness of the hands and feet. A neurologist also treats diseases of the nervous system, among the most common are tumors, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s, among others.

When a person has muscle weakness, problems getting up from a chair, lifting an object, or dropping objects on the floor all the time, it is advisable to visit a neurologist. 

Dr. Jennefer Portillo de Posadas is a specialist in neurology, graduated from the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC), later she completed a specialty in clinical neurology at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), in addition, at the Hospital de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán (Mexico City) she completed a high specialty in Neuromuscular Diseases, and is currently the only one with this specialty in Guatemala. 

Afterward, she did internships and studies in neurophysiology, which is responsible for the functional study of the central and peripheral nervous system these highly specialized technologies are used for diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic guidance, which consists of a series of tests such as nerve conduction velocities, electromyography, evoked potentials, visual-auditory or somatosensory, this helps mainly to detect neuromuscular diseases including neuropathies, myopathies radiculopathies even immunological diseases such as myasthenia gravis, muscular dystrophies and is also often used for traumatic injuries in order to detect injuries to peripheral nerve level.

Dr. Jennefer Portillo de Posadas has experience in caring for patients with very rare diseases, one of the diseases that occur less frequently is Myasthenia Gravis, which is estimated at 1 in 250,000 people, affecting both men and women who are between 40 years of age and older, also within these diseases are muscular dystrophies, and that according to the experience of Dr. Portillo de Posadas several neuromuscular diseases are often confused with muscular dystrophies, and that is why Dr. Portillo de Posadas always tries to guide the diagnosis based on her specialty, unique in Guatemala, to re-evaluate the diagnosis. According to Dr. Portillo de Posadas’s knowledge, many neuromuscular diseases are often confused with muscular dystrophies, and that is why Dr. Portillo de Posadas always tries to guide the diagnosis by using her specialty, unique in Guatemala, to re-evaluate the patient and even with genetic tests that are provided within the same Centro Neurológico Integral.

The Centro Neurológico Integral clinic has a team of two other outstanding neurologists, Dr. Rubén Posadas and Dr. Diego Posadas Pinto. The team is also formed by a Neuropsychologist, which provides support in consultations in specific cases to reach an accurate diagnosis for the patient. The clinic has the specialized equipment to perform all the necessary tests to reach the diagnosis, among the studies that are available to the public is the Electromyogram, which is used to know how injured are the nerves through electrodes placed on the legs or arms, this is a study that not anyone can perform, Another complementary study of the Electromyogram is the Evoked Potentials, which allows us to record the brain responses that cause sensory stimuli giving us as a result to assess the integrity of the stimulated pathways, this test is also available to the public in the clinic Centro Neurológico Integral. 

Nowadays, in Guatemala, there is a shortage of trained professionals to carry out this type of study, Dr. Jennefer Portillo de Posadas, is the only one in the country who has the preparation, practice, and knowledge for the effective recognition of neuromuscular diseases and thus reach an accurate diagnosis.

The lack of empathy within medical care has led to delaying early and accurate diagnoses of patients. Although medicine is advancing and updating is fundamental, it is also necessary to retake and preserve the conventional clinical practice, where the physician is at the patient’s side and focuses on the physical examination and the patient’s clinical signs. Dr. Jennefer Portillo de Posadas’s main motivation is to have an impact on people, leave a mark on their lives, achieve complex diagnoses, and provide timely treatment to improve their quality of life.

It is important to be attentive to the signals that the body gives us, and not leave the visit to the neurologist to time and thus obtain an accurate diagnosis at the hands of specialized and empathetic professionals such as Dr. Jennefer Portillo de Posadas, and her clinic Centro Neurológico Integral. 

“My main goal is to have an impact on people, to leave a mark in each of their lives through empathic care.”

Professional Affiliations

College of Physicians and Surgeons of Guatemala (COLMEDEGUA).

Guatemalan Association of Neurology.

Mexican Council of Neurology, A. C.

Academic Affiliations

High specialty in Neuromuscular Diseases. The Autonomous University of Mexico, Medical Sciences Faculty, 2020-2021.

Subspecialty in Clinical Neurology, Certification by the Mexican Council of Neurology. National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Salvador Zubirán, endorsed by the National Autonomous University of Mexico, 2017-2019.

Master’s Degree in Medical Sciences with Specialty in Internal Medicine, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Faculty of Medical Sciences. General Hospital San Juan de Dios, Rural Supervised Professional Practice at the Regional Hospital of Coban, 2013-2016.

Medical and Surgeon Degree, San Carlos de Guatemala University, School of Medical Sciences, 2005-2012.

Publications

• General Medicine Thesis: Peripheral neuropathy in patients with newly diagnosed Diabetes mellitus.
• High specialty thesis: Factors involved in the remission of myasthenia gravis in patients with steroid-sparing treatment.
  Predictors of mechanical ventilation in Guillain- barré syndrome with axonal subtype. Canadian Journal of neurological Sciences.
• Clinical and neurophysiological description of patients with POEMS syndrome. Gaceta Medica de Mexico.
• A Young man with vertical diplopia and Bielschowsky sign: isotretinoin-induced extraocular myopathy. Acta Neurologica Belgica.

Special Interests

“I love doing sports since I was a child, but now my free time and my main hobby are my children.” – Dr. Jennefer Portillo de Posadas

Charity, Public Service, Donations

Dr. Jennefer Portillo de Posadas says: Social responsibility must be lived day by day, from greeting with a “Good morning”, respecting the rights of others, acting with integrity, and always working at our 110%, giving a grain of sand at all times.