Bilateral vocal cord paralysis requiring tracheostomy due to neuroborreliosis. 2014

Carlos D Martínez-Balzano, and Bruce Greenberg
From the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA. Electronic address: Carlos.Martinez-Balzano@umassmemorial.org.

Neuroborreliosis can cause multiple cranial and peripheral neuropathies; however, involvement of both recurrent laryngeal nerves is rare. We report the case of a 90-year-old man who presented with dysphonia and right upper and lower extremity weakness. His course was complicated by bilateral vocal cord paralysis and respiratory failure requiring tracheostomy. The diagnosis of borreliosis was made by detection of IgM and IgG antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi on enzyme immunoassay and Western blot. The patient received IV ceftriaxone for 2 weeks, followed by complete recovery of motor and vocal function over 2 months. Our case is the third report of bilateral vocal cord paralysis in the literature, and the first one, to our knowledge, presenting with respiratory failure requiring an artificial airway. Physicians should be aware of this unusual complication of neuroborreliosis.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007275 Injections, Intravenous Injections made into a vein for therapeutic or experimental purposes. Intravenous Injections,Injection, Intravenous,Intravenous Injection
D007828 Laryngoscopy Examination, therapy or surgery of the interior of the larynx performed with a specially designed endoscope. Laryngoscopic Surgical Procedures,Surgical Procedures, Laryngoscopic,Laryngoscopic Surgery,Surgery, Laryngoscopic,Laryngoscopic Surgeries,Laryngoscopic Surgical Procedure,Laryngoscopies,Procedure, Laryngoscopic Surgical,Procedures, Laryngoscopic Surgical,Surgeries, Laryngoscopic,Surgical Procedure, Laryngoscopic
D008279 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Non-invasive method of demonstrating internal anatomy based on the principle that atomic nuclei in a strong magnetic field absorb pulses of radiofrequency energy and emit them as radiowaves which can be reconstructed into computerized images. The concept includes proton spin tomographic techniques. Chemical Shift Imaging,MR Tomography,MRI Scans,MRI, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Image,Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional,Magnetization Transfer Contrast Imaging,NMR Imaging,NMR Tomography,Tomography, NMR,Tomography, Proton Spin,fMRI,Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging,Imaging, Chemical Shift,Proton Spin Tomography,Spin Echo Imaging,Steady-State Free Precession MRI,Tomography, MR,Zeugmatography,Chemical Shift Imagings,Echo Imaging, Spin,Echo Imagings, Spin,Functional MRI,Functional MRIs,Image, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, NMR,Imaging, Spin Echo,Imagings, Chemical Shift,Imagings, Spin Echo,MRI Scan,MRIs, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Images,Resonance Image, Magnetic,Scan, MRI,Scans, MRI,Shift Imaging, Chemical,Shift Imagings, Chemical,Spin Echo Imagings,Steady State Free Precession MRI
D008297 Male Males
D012131 Respiratory Insufficiency Failure to adequately provide oxygen to cells of the body and to remove excess carbon dioxide from them. (Stedman, 25th ed) Acute Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure,Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure,Hypercapnic Acute Respiratory Failure,Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure,Hypoxemic Acute Respiratory Failure,Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure,Respiratory Depression,Respiratory Failure,Ventilatory Depression,Depressions, Ventilatory,Failure, Hypercapnic Respiratory,Failure, Hypoxemic Respiratory,Failure, Respiratory,Hypercapnic Respiratory Failures,Hypoxemic Respiratory Failures,Respiratory Failure, Hypercapnic,Respiratory Failure, Hypoxemic,Respiratory Failures
D001898 Borrelia A genus of gram-negative, anaerobic, helical bacteria, various species of which produce RELAPSING FEVER in humans and other animals.
D002443 Ceftriaxone A broad-spectrum cephalosporin antibiotic and cefotaxime derivative with a very long half-life and high penetrability to meninges, eyes and inner ears. Benaxona,Cefatriaxone,Cefaxona,Ceftrex,Ceftriaxon,Ceftriaxon Curamed,Ceftriaxon Hexal,Ceftriaxona Andreu,Ceftriaxona LDP Torlan,Ceftriaxone Irex,Ceftriaxone Sodium,Ceftriaxone Sodium, Anhydrous,Ceftriaxone, Disodium Salt,Ceftriaxone, Disodium Salt, Hemiheptahydrate,Lendacin,Longacef,Longaceph,Ro 13-9904,Ro-13-9904,Ro13-9904,Rocefalin,Rocefin,Rocephin,Rocephine,Tacex,Terbac,Anhydrous Ceftriaxone Sodium,Ro 13 9904,Ro 139904,Ro13 9904,Ro139904
D005500 Follow-Up Studies Studies in which individuals or populations are followed to assess the outcome of exposures, procedures, or effects of a characteristic, e.g., occurrence of disease. Followup Studies,Follow Up Studies,Follow-Up Study,Followup Study,Studies, Follow-Up,Studies, Followup,Study, Follow-Up,Study, Followup
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000369 Aged, 80 and over Persons 80 years of age and older. Oldest Old

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