Neuro-ophthalmic manifestations of the syndrome of ophthalmoplegia, ataxia and areflexia. Observations on 20 patients

Characteristics of pupil palsy in miller-fisher syndrome: case reports and review of the literature

Pupil palsy has been a frequent finding in Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS), but its clinical characteristics have not been clearly defined. The basis for differential diagnosis with other diseases with pupil palsy has also remained vague. We report cases of four MFS patients with bilateral pupil palsy and specify pupil characteristics of light-near dissociation (LND), cholinergic super-sensitivity, vermiform movements, and prognosis. We conducted a literature review to compare with our cases and investigate common findings of pupil palsy in MFS patients. We suggest that the acute generalized pupil palsy without vermiform movements can serve as a key finding for the diagnosis of pupil palsy associated with MFS. However, the presence of LND and cholinergic super-sensitivity was not distinctive clinical findings in MFS patients who had pupil palsy and did not prove useful for differential diagnosis. The prognosis of pupil palsy in MFS patients was good in our 4 cases and the literature review.

Pupillary Involvement in Miller Fisher Syndrome

Miller Fisher Syndrome is characterised by the classical triad of ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and areflexia. Ophthalmoparesis without ataxia, without areflexia, or with neither have been attributed as atypical forms of MFS. We report two patients with MFS who had tonic pupils and raised anti-GQ1b antibody titres. Bilateral dilated pupils (either tonic or fixed) can be a manifestation of MFS and anti-GQ1b immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies are useful to confirm the diagnosis in unexplained cases. The site of involvement is thought to be the ciliary ganglion or short ciliary nerves.

Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis and Fisher syndrome form a continuous spectrum: clinical analysis of 581 cases

Whether Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis (BBE) is a distinct disease or a subtype of Fisher syndrome (FS) is unclear as there have been no clinical studies with sufficiently large numbers of patients with FS or BBE. Our aim was to clarify the nosological relationship. Medical records of patients suffering acute ophthalmoplegia and ataxia within four weeks of onset were reviewed. BBE was the diagnosis for patients with impaired consciousness, FS for those with clear consciousness and areflexia. Clinical features, neuroimages, and laboratory findings were analyzed. Patients were grouped as having BBE (n = 53), FS (n = 466), or as unclassified (n = 62). The BBE and FS groups had similar features; positive serum anti-GQ1b IgG antibody (68 % versus 83 %), antecedent Campylobacter jejuni infection (23 % versus 21 %), CSF albuminocytological dissociation (46 % versus 76 %), brain MRI abnormality (11 % versus 2 %), and abnormal EEG findings (57 % versus 25 %). BBE (n = 4) and FS (n = 28) subgroups underwent detailed electrophysiological testing. Both groups frequently showed absent soleus H-reflexes, but normal sensory nerve conduction (75 % versus 74 %) and a 1-Hz power spectrum peak on postural body sway analysis (67 % versus 72 %). Common autoantibodies, antecedent infections, and MRI and neurophysiological results found in this large study offer conclusive evidence that Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis and Fisher syndrome form a continuous spectrum with variable CNS and PNS involvement.

A child with Miller Fisher syndrome

We describe the case of a six-year-old girl who presented with a 3-day history of diplopia and gait disturbance following a febrile flu-like illness. On examination she was found to have ataxia, areflexia and ophthalmoplegia, and a diagnosis of Miller Fisher syndrome was made after the exclusion of other conditions. This report outlines the frequency of Miller Fisher syndrome and lists the differential diagnoses that should be considered in Australia. In addition, the occurrence of pupillary dysfunction is discussed.

The immunopathogenesis of Miller Fisher syndrome

Over the past decade, remarkable progress has been made in our understanding of the pathogenesis of Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS), a clinical variant of Guillain Barré syndrome (GBS). MFS comprises the clinical triad of ataxia, areflexia and ophthalmoplegia. It is associated with acute-phase IgG antibodies to GQ1b and GT1a gangliosides in over 90% of cases which are highly disease specific. Like GBS, MFS is a post-infectious syndrome following diverse infections, but particular attention has been paid to its association with Campylobacter jejuni enteritis. Serostrains of C. jejuni isolated from infected patients bear ganglioside-like epitopes in their lipopolysaccharide core oligosaccharides, which elicit humoral immune responses exhibiting molecular mimicry with GQ1b/GT1a gangliosides. These antibodies are believed to be the principal cause of the syndrome and physiological studies aimed at proving this have focused on the motor-nerve terminal as a potential site of pathogenic action. This review describes these findings and formulates a pathogenesis model based on our current state of knowledge.

Guillain-Barré syndrome in Taiwan: a clinical study of 167 patients

OBJECTIVE

To identify clinical characteristics of various forms of Guillain-Barré syndrome in Taiwan.

METHODS

The clinical and electrophysiological data of 167 consecutive patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome admitted to Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, a general paediatric and adult hospital in Taiwan, were reviewed.

RESULTS

Analysis of age distribution disclosed a high incidence (21%) among patients under the age of 10 years. Seasonal preponderance in Spring (March to May) was found. Utilizing clinical and electrophysiological data, these 167 patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome were subclassified; 82 (49%) had acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP), 32 (19%) had Fisher syndrome (FS), and six (4%) had axonal forms of Guillain-Barré syndrome. The remaining 47 (28%) patients were unclassified. Patients with AIDP and FS had many common clinical features, including seasonal distribution, history of preceding illness, sensory abnormalities, cranial nerve involvement except for extraocular motor nerves, and albuminocytological dissociation on examination of CSF. Follow up study on 145 patients disclosed that 127 (87%) recovered satisfactorily, 14 (10%) were persistently disabled, and four (3%) died during admission to hospital. Clinical features associated with poor outcome (persistent disability or death) were requirement for mechanical ventilation, a low mean compound muscle action potential amplitude (< or = 10% of the lower limit of normal), and age greater than 40 years.

CONCLUSION

Guillain-Barré syndrome in Taiwan showed a peculiar age and seasonal distribution and a high frequency of FS not seen in other series. Given that patients with AIDP and FS had many common clinical features, AIDP and FS may have similar underlying pathological mechanisms.