The Not-So-Benign Miller Fisher Syndrome

Two patients with Fisher's syndrome of ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and areflexia experienced severe weakness and respiratory distress. Both patients required tracheostomy and assisted ventilation, but both made a complete recovery. Fisher's syndrome is generally considered to be a benign variant of acute infectious polyneuropathy (the Guillain-Barre syndrome). Our two patients demonstrate that the condition is not always benign.