Tapia's syndrome. The erratic evolution of an eponym.

The syndrome first described in 1904 by the Spanish otolaryngologist, Antonio Garcia Tapia, has been variously interpreted by subsequent authors such that there is little current agreement as to the site of the lesion responsible for the condition or the specific symptoms included in this disorder. The confusion arose in part because Tapia's original patient had associated neurologic findings. Careful review of Tapia's reports reveals (1) that he regarded the syndrome as consisting of ipsilateral hemiplegia of the larynx and tongue with normal function of the soft palate and (2) that he believed the lesion resulting in these signs was outside the CNS.

Duke Scholars

Author Edward Wayne Massey Neurology, General & Community Neurology