Ondine′s curse after brainstem infarction

Abstract

This report describes a rare case of acquired Ondine's curse. The patient developed central sleep apnea syndrome named Ondine's curse after a brainstem infarction. Lesions involving the descending medullocervical pathways that subserve automatic breathing can result in this syndrome.

A Case of acquired Ondine's curse secondary to television injury

“…2 However, acquired Ondine's curse is seen with lesions in the ventrolateral medulla (infarction, haemorrhage, encephalitis, tumours, mitochondrial disease, demyelination). 3 In our case, infarct was likely secondary to vasospasm of the PICAs. Vasospasm, a complication associated with SAH, results in secondary cerebral infarcts.…”

Successful delivery of adjuvant external beam radiotherapy for ependymoma in a patient with Ondine׳s curse

“…Although Ondine's curse is most commonly described as a congenital syndrome, rare cases of acquired CAH caused by lesions involving the ventrolateral descending medullocervical pathways have been reported. 2,3,5,6 Chemosensitive respiratory neurons initiating inspiration and expiration have been localized to the medulla. We postulate that, in our case, compression from residual tumor and subgaleal effusion, and exacerbation by supine positioning and pressure from mask immobilization, interfered with dorsal respiratory group functions responsible for ventilatory responses to hypercapnea and hypoxemia, causing the patient to go into respiratory arrest.…”

Central Neurogenic Respiratory Failure: A Challenging Diagnosis

“…Patients with Ondine's curse are no longer capable of spontaneously breathing and must consciously and voluntarily force themselves to breathe. This syndrome has been reported in a few patients with acute vertebrobasilar strokes, medullary tumors, and other structural lesions [5, 6, 7]. …”

“…Therapeutic symptomatic options range from pharmacologic approaches [5] and use of bilevel positive airway pressure to implantation of diaphragmatic pacemaker [8, 9]. As was seen in patients 2 and 3, spontaneous recovery can occur [10].…”