Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0037315 (sleep apnea)
 8,000 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A 70-year-old patient with bilateral vocal cord paralysis, accompanied by inspiratory stridor and increased snoring, is presented. Respiratory dysfunction, deteriorating over 18 months, necessitated permanent tracheostomy. Only two and a half years after the onset of symptoms the patient developed extrapyramidal signs combined with severe autonomic failure, suggesting a diagnosis of Shy-Drager syndrome. Vocal cord palsy preceding any other neurological or autonomic manifestations of that syndrome has been infrequently described. This diagnosis should be considered in cases of vocal cord palsy of undetermined etiology, especially when associated with increased snoring or episodes of sleep apnea.
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PMID:Vocal cord paralysis as a presenting sign in the Shy-Drager syndrome. 335 42

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) of the central nervous system has been recognized as a rare cause of stridor secondary to vocal cord paralysis. This respiratory problem usually occurs in the later stages of the disease. We report the case of a 53-year-old man who presented with bilateral vocal cord paralysis accompanied by stridor and sleep apnea, which were relieved by a tracheostomy. Two years after the onset of stridor, he developed extrapyramidal and cerebellar signs combined with severe autonomic failure. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed atrophy of the brainstem and cerebellum. This clinical picture is consistent with the diagnosis of MSA. Vocal cord paralysis preceding any other neurologic and autonomic manifestations has been infrequently described. This case should remind clinicians that MSA should be considered in the differential diagnosis of vocal cord palsy of undetermined origin.
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PMID:Vocal cord paralysis as an initial sign of multiple system atrophy in the central nervous system. 896 81