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Review
. 2021 Jan 27;14(1):e240386.
doi: 10.1136/bcr-2020-240386.

Bilateral vocal cord paralysis in Miller Fisher syndrome/Guillain-Barre overlap syndrome and a review of previous case series

Jeeyune Bahk #  1 , Wanding Yang #  2 , Jonathan Fishman  3
Affiliations
Review

Bilateral vocal cord paralysis in Miller Fisher syndrome/Guillain-Barre overlap syndrome and a review of previous case series

Jeeyune Bahk et al. BMJ Case Rep. .

Abstract

Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS), an acute demyelinating neuropathy, is characterised by a triad of areflexia, ataxia and ophthalmoplegia. It is the most common variant of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). In about 5.6%-7.1% of MFS cases, patients also suffer from progressive motor weakness of the limbs. This condition is termed MFS/GBS overlap syndrome. Whether it is in MFS or GBS, bilateral vocal cord paralysis (BVCP) is a rare manifestation with limited cases reported in the literature. We report an extremely rare case where a 65-year-old man developed BVCP in an MFS/GBS overlap syndrome. We have also reviewed previous case reports in the literature for comparison.

Keywords: adult intensive care; ear, nose and throat/otolaryngology; neuro ITU; neurology; peripheral nerve disease.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

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