Publication:

Male Sjogren’s syndrome presenting with respiratory paralysis due to hypokalemia

Respiratory paralysis due to hypokalemia is a rare entity in Sjogren’s syndrome. Apart from distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA) and hypokalemia the clinical symptoms like dryness of eye, mouth and parotid swelling were absent in our case. Due to this rarity in this pattern of presenting the symptoms, the differential diagnosis of autoimmune disease is often missed and it will eventually end up in a fatal condition. Hypokalemia causes muscle weakness gradually and there will be sudden onset of respiratory paralysis which could be dangerous to the individual. Although there is the presence of rare combination of symptoms clinical history, blood gas analysis, urine analysis and ANA profile will help in the appropriate diagnosis. Here we report a rare case of male Sjogren’s syndrome presenting with respiratory paralysis due to hypokalemia.