[Periodic laryngeal dyspnea in bi-opercular syndrome]

Periodic bouts of laryngeal dyspnea in a 77-year-old man were observed early in the course of a syndrome due to bilateral opercular infarcts. Laryngoscopy showed alternate slow opening and closure of the glottis superimposed on respiratory vocal cord movements. The disorder could result from bilateral removal of cortical control of bulbar centers, its periodicity suggesting analogies with Cheyne-Stokes' dyspnea.