Breathing dystonia in Meige syndrome

Dyspnoea is rarely mentioned in the clinical description of adult-onset isolated dystonia. In this study, we present the clinical features of 13 patients with Meige syndrome (cranio-cervical dystonia) with breathing difficulties.

A retrospective case note review was performed of patients presenting with Meige syndrome and shortness of breath, to a neuro-laryngology MDT clinic.

Some patients were severely limited by their breathlessness, but others did not volunteer these symptoms. The majority of patients were referred with the assumption that the larynx was the cause of the problem; however half the patients did not have evidence of laryngeal involvement. Of the patients who had laryngeal involvement, injecting the larynx alone did not always relieve the dyspnoea. The majority of our patients responded to injection of the suprahyoid muscles, including genioglossus, digastric and mylohyoid.

We recommend routinely establishing if the patient with Meige syndrome has signs or symptoms of breathlessness, and establishing the level of the problem, as this can be treated successfully.