Eosinophilia-Myalgia Syndrome- Long Term Complications
by Luis R. Espinoza M.D.
The existence of the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS) was clearly
established in 1989 after a cluster of cases with symptoms of
incapacitating myalgias and eosinophilia were reported. It was realized
shortly after that EMS was a systemic disorder which may affect multiple
organ systems leading to severe disability and mortality. Although
sporadic cases of EMS were recognized prior to the outbreak of 1989,
well-conducted epidemiological studies conclusively demonstrated that
the epidemic outbreak of EMS could be traced back to the intake of
L-tryptophan of certain lots from a single manufacturer. More
importantly, the incidence of EMS in the United States diminished
abruptly following the withdrawal of L-tryptophan containing products.
Although this review will deal with the long-term complications
associated with EMS, a brief overview of the characteristics of patients
who died shortly after the epidemic outbreak will be described next. As
of August 10, 1991, 36 deaths related to EMS had been reported to the
Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia. Among all patients
fulfilling the surveillance case definition for EMS, it was found that
EMS patients who died were older, had higher absolute leukocyte and
eosinophil counts, and reported a greater frequency of cough or dyspnea,
neuropathy, hepatomegaly, leukocytosis, and elevated erythrocyte
sedimentation rate (a marker of ongoing inflammation).
Of the 36 patients who died, 33 (92%) had neuromuscular sequelae, 29
(81%) had pulmonary complications, and 23 (64%) had cardiac
manifestations. The most commonly observed disease process leading to
death was progressive polyneuropathy and myopathy (24 of the 36 reported
deaths) which produced complications of pneumonia and sepsis or
respiratory failure due to weakness; cardiomyopathy was the underlying
cause of death for 4 patients, primary pulmonary disease for 3, sudden
death attributed to arrhythmia for 2, stroke for 2, and septic
complications of therapy for one. It is clear from this data that EMS is
a multisystemic disease, and risk factors of poor prognosis include
older age and involvement of more than one organ system.
The question that remains unanswered is whether or not the clinical
manifestations associated with EMS completely disappeared or ameliorated
once L-tryptophan containing products were removed from the market. Our
personal experience with over 20 patients diagnosed at the peak of the
epidemic in 1989 suggests that most patients remained symptomatic
although many have a very good outcome. To this regard I would like to
summarize some of the literature on this subject published in the past
2-4 years.
Hertzman et al (Ann Int Med 1995: 851-855) attempted to describe the
course of the EMS during a 2 year period. Fifteen physicians completed a
structured review form to describe symptoms, physical findings,
laboratory data, and responses to treatments in 205 patients with the
EMS at the onset of illness and after 18 to 24 months of follow-up. This
study was performed in 15 university and private clinical practice
settings. A total of 205 patients entered the study. All of them had
follow-up data available and met four criteria at diagnosis: eosinophil
count of 1000 cells/mm3 or greater, presence of fasciitis, peripheral
neuropathy, polyradiculopathy, interstitial pulmonary disease, pulmonary
hypertension, or myocardial involvement; history of L-tryptophan
consumption; and absence of other conditions that could account for
these findings. Results showed that after 18 to 24 months, all symptoms
except cognitive changes were reported to have improved in most
patients. Nearly all physical findings were also reported to have
improved or resolved in most patients; only peripheral neuropathy was
unchanged. No evidence of ongoing inflammatory disease was reported.
Prednisone was reported to be helpful in 79% of patients who received it
during the acute phase of the syndrome. No other treatment was reported
to be consistently beneficial. Authors conclude that 18-24 months after
the onset of illness, most symptoms and physical findings in most
patients with the EMS resolved or improved. Cognitive changes were
reported to be worse in 32% of patients.
The outcome noted in the above discussed study would appear to suggest
that EMS is a benign disease without significant morbidity, and perhaps
mortality. The good outcome found may be explained on the basis of
patient selection, patient referral, large number of patients studied,
and other unexplained reasons.
Outcome seen in this study also contrasts with that of others. Campbell
et al (Southern Med J 1995; 88: 953-958). In this case-series analysis,
of 34 patients originally identified with EMS, 31 survivors were
followed-up by yearly telephone interviews. A number of variables were
ascertained including type, duration, and severity of symptoms and
whether certain patient characteristics were associated with illness
improvement. At a median of 3.6 years after onset, 3 patients (8.8%) had
died. Two (5.9%) were well, 7 (20.6%) were improved, and 22 (64.7%)
reported either no change or worsening overall condition compared to 1
year prior.
Musculoskeletal and neurologic symptoms predominated. The prevalence of
several symptoms, including muscle cramps, joint pain, and cognitive
dysfunction, increased over the course of study. Age, sex, peak
eosinophil count, early prednisone use, and usual dose or duration of
L-Tryptophan use were not associated with significant improvement.
Authors concluded that for the majority of patients, EMS is a chronic
illness having a major impact on life-style 3.6 years after onset.
Kaufman L.D. (Arthritis & Rheumatism 1994; 37:84-87) reported
similar data with 57 patients with well-characterized EMS evaluated
prospectively at a university hospital for 21-64 months (mean 36
months). Data revealed that 88% of the patients continue to have
symptomatic disease with more than 3 clinical manifestations. Fatigue
(91%), muscle cramping (75%), myalgia (70%), paresthesias with
objectively demonstrated hypesthesias (62%), articular symptoms (54%),
scleroderma-like skin changes (44%), and proximal muscle weakness (40%),
were the more common features of chronic EMS. Cognitive symptoms were
seen in 86% of patients, and tremor and myoclonus were also seen.
It is obvious that results from this study are in contrast with the
previously discussed one. It is my belief that both studies are probably
correct and outcome most likely reflect the clinical spectrum associated
with EMS - at one end patients with milder disease (musculoskeletal
involvement) and at the other end of the spectrum patients with more
severe disease (multiorgan system involvement - cardiopulmonary,
neurologic).
A variety of long-term complications have been described in patients
with EMS (Table 1).
Of interest are the inflammatory lesions demonstrated in coronary
arteries and cardiac neural structures at post-mortem studies in EMS.
The inflammation is primarily lymphocytic - predominantly CD45RO+ T
cells, and CD20+ B cells. These cells were prominently observed in
neurovascular lesions, notably in the conduction system and the coronary
chemoreceptor. These findings may explain the fatal cardiac arrhythmia
seen in some patients, and not too dissimilar to those changes seen in
patients with the toxic oil syndrome (adulterated oil).
It is also important to mention that a consistent finding reported over
and over is the presence of neuropsychological, emotional, and
neurocognitive dysfunction in a significant majority of patients with
chronic EMS. Feelings of depression, tension, nervousness, fatigue,
helplessness, memory loss, are present in over half of patients with
EMS. Furthermore, cognitively impaired EMS patients did not differ from
those without cognitive impairment on demographic markers, degree of
peripheral eosinophilia, presence of peripheral neuropathy, or frequency
of concurrent psychiatric disorders, including major depression.
In conclusion, EMS is a chronic multiorgan system disorder associated
with significant morbidity, and disability - both physically and
emotionally.
TABLE 1. LONG-TERM CLINICAL COMPLICATIONS REPORTED IN
ASSOCIATION WITH EOSINOPHILIA-MYALGIA SYNDROME