J Korean Med Sci.  2013 Jan;28(1):152-155. 10.3346/jkms.2013.28.1.152.

An Adult Case of Fisher Syndrome Subsequent to Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infection

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea. jaelee@knu.ac.kr
  • 2Department of Ophthalmology, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.

Abstract

Reported herein is an adult case of Fisher syndrome (FS) that occurred as a complication during the course of community-acquired pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae. A 38-yr-old man who had been treated with antibiotics for serologically proven M. pneumoniae pneumonia presented with a sudden onset of diplopia, ataxic gait, and areflexia. A thorough evaluation including brain imaging, cerebrospinal fluid examination, a nerve conduction study, and detection of serum anti-ganglioside GQ1b antibody titers led to the diagnosis of FS. Antibiotic treatment of the underlying M. pneumoniae pneumonia was maintained without additional immunomodulatory agents. A complete and spontaneous resolution of neurologic abnormalities was observed within 1 month, accompanied by resolution of lung lesions.

Keyword

Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Fisher Syndrome; Anti-GQ1b Antibody

MeSH Terms

Adult
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use
Antibodies/blood
Diplopia/etiology
Erythrocyte Count
Gangliosides/immunology
Humans
Lung/radiography
Male
Miller Fisher Syndrome/*diagnosis/etiology
Pneumonia, Mycoplasma/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Antibodies
Gangliosides

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Chest radiographic and computed tomography (CT) findings. (A) Chest radiograph showed consolidation in the entire right lower lung field. (B) CT of the chest demonstrated lobar consolidation of the right lower lobe, accompanied by patchy consolidation in the right middle and left upper lobe.


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