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Published in: BMC Neurology 1/2022

Open Access 01-12-2022 | Myasthenia Gravis | Case report

Autonomic dysfunction detected by skin sympathetic response in Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome: a case report

Authors: Jinghong Zhang, Xusheng Huang, Qiang Shi

Published in: BMC Neurology | Issue 1/2022

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Abstract

Background

Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is a type of paraneoplastic syndrome that may initially manifest itself with proximal weakness and gait abnormalities. Approximately up to 50% of LEMS patients have a primary autonomic dysfunction.

Case presentation

We present here a case of a 75-year-old male with symmetric proximal muscle weakness, dry mouth and constipation. The cutaneous response to scratch and upright tilt-table testing were positive. A repetitive nerve stimulation test showed that there was a decremental response of compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitude at 3 Hz while an incremental response at 20 Hz. The presence of antibodies against voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC) confirmed the diagnosis. Because of the prominent symptom of autonomic disorder, the patient further underwent the test of skin sympathetic response (SSR). Lower amplitude and longer response duration were found in palms, while it evoked no response in soles.

Conclusions

In this case, we present the detailed results of SSR test on a patient suffering LEMS with autonomic disorder. Since autonomic dysfunction has a significant impact on clinical management and SSR test is an effective detection method, we recommend that SSR test be performed on patients with LEMS regularly.
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Metadata
Title
Autonomic dysfunction detected by skin sympathetic response in Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome: a case report
Authors
Jinghong Zhang
Xusheng Huang
Qiang Shi
Publication date
01-12-2022
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Neurology / Issue 1/2022
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2377
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-022-02625-1

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