MRI findings of optic pathway involvement in Miller Fisher syndrome in 3 pediatric patients and a review of the literature

Abstract

Background: Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS) is a rare demyelinating condition which may have involvement of cranial nerves. There are a few case reports of optic pathway involvement in children. We describe 3 patients with optic pathway enhancement in pediatric patients with MFS. Case series: We retrospectively reviewed brain imaging findings in 17 pediatric patients with of Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) meeting Brighton criteria who had brain MRIs performed during their acute illness. Cranial nerve enhancement was seen in 6/17 patients and optic nerve/chiasm enhancement was seen in 3 patients. Conclusion: Cranial nerve enhancement and optic pathway in particular, can be seen in patients with MFS. Imaging findings do not always correlate with clinical manifestations of cranial nerve involvement.