Respiratory insufficiency in neuronopathic and neuropathic disorders

Twenty-nine patients with a neuronopathic or neuropathic disorder were referred for assessment of respiratory insufficiency between 1978 and 1994. Diagnoses included spinal muscular atrophy (6), chronic idiopathic demyelinating neuropathy (4), Vialetto-van Laere syndrome (3), hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (3) and a miscellaneous group (5). We also describe seven patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) who required long-term ventilatory support for over 6 months to 7 years after the initial illness. Respiratory insufficiency occurred as a consequence of respiratory muscle weakness, impaired bulbar function and restrictive lung defects. In some groups presentation was with progressive nocturnal hypoventilation culminating in acute respiratory failure. Five patients with GBS or chronic idiopathic demyelinating neuropathy were weaned from ventilatory support up to 18 months after the initial illness. The remaining 24 patients required continuous or nocturnal ventilatory support using intermittent positive-pressure ventilation (13), negative pressure ventilation (4), nasal-mask-delivered intermittent positive-pressure ventilation (4), nasal-mask-delivered continuous positive-pressure ventilation (3), mouthpiece-assisted ventilation by day (2) and rocking bed (1). None have been weaned from support after a period of ventilation ranging from one month to 10 years. Eight patients have subsequently died.