Immune trigeminal sensory neuropathy with esophageal achalasia: Improvement with long-term immunotherapy

Juan J. Figueroa, Janean K. Engelstad, Robert J. Spinner, P. James B. Dyck

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We report a patient who developed subacute facial-predominant numbness and anhidrosis, oral incoordination, and esophageal achalasia with resultant cachexia. Great auricular nerve biopsy showed extensive epineurial perivascular inflammatory infiltrates. Sensation, sweating, and swallowing improved with pulse intravenous methylprednisolone given over 5 years. We suggest that the patient's deficits, including achalasia, were due to an immune-mediated sensory and autonomic neuropathy and that, in such cases, pathologic studies of the great auricular nerve may be diagnostically informative.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)289-293
Number of pages5
JournalMuscle and Nerve
Volume43
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2011

Keywords

  • Dysphagia
  • Esophageal achalasia
  • Immune sensory neuropathy
  • Sensory ganglionopathy
  • Trigeminal neuropathy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physiology
  • Clinical Neurology
  • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
  • Physiology (medical)

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