Miller Fisher Syndrome
Miller Fisher syndrome is a very rare nerve disease that’s related to Guillain-Barré syndrome. Miller Fisher syndrome is a variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome. It’s rarer than Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Causes of Miller Fisher Syndrome
Both Miller Fisher syndrome and Guillain-Barré syndrome develop in response to an illness.
The illness triggers antibodies to attack your nerves. Experts aren’t sure why this happens.
Miller Fisher syndrome usually develops a few days or up to 4 weeks after an illness, especially a diarrheal disease or respiratory infection.
Campylobacter jejuni is a common species of bacteria that triggers Miller Fisher syndrome and Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Symptoms of Miller Fisher Syndrome
Weakness of your eye muscles, which leads to double vision and difficulty controlling eye movements (ophthalmoplegia)
Problems with limb coordination (ataxia)
Loss of reflexes in your tendons (areflexia)
Diagnosis of Miller Fisher Syndrome
There isn’t a specific diagnostic test for Miller Fisher syndrome.
Your doctor will do a physical exam and take a medical history. They may do a spinal tap (lumbar puncture).
Many people with Miller Fisher syndrome have a high protein count in their cerebrospinal fluid.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of your brain may be done to rule out brainstem encephalitis and Guillain-Barré syndrome.
In Miller Fisher syndrome, an MRI is usually normal, but there may be abnormalities for the other diseases.
Your doctor may also carry out a nerve conduction study and electromyography (EMG). These tests use small electric shocks to check the activity of your muscles and sensory nerves.
If you have Miller Fisher syndrome, the tests may show abnormalities of your sensory nerves.
Treatment of Miller Fisher Syndrome
There’s no cure for Miller Fisher syndrome. But treatment can help your symptoms improve faster.
People with Miller Fisher syndrome are usually treated in the hospital.
This will allow doctors to rule out Guillain-Barré syndrome, which can be fatal.
Because Miller Fisher syndrome is related to Guillain-Barré syndrome, treatments for Guillain-Barré syndrome are usually given.
These treatments may include plasma exchange (plasmapheresis) and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg).
Intravenous immunoglobulin is usually the first treatment given because it’s more widely available and convenient than plasmapheresis.
Intravenous immunoglobulin is usually given for 5 days.
These infusions contain antibodies found in blood.
They come from plasma that’s pooled from thousands of healthy people and then purified.
In plasmapheresis, a thin plastic tube connects your vein to a machine. Your blood travels through the tube and into the machine.
The machine removes the plasma in your blood and replaces it with substitute plasma.
This substitute plasma and your own blood cells are then returned to your body.