Exercise induced oscillatory ventilation without cardiac failure in a young woman with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis: A case report

Abstract

Exercise oscillatory ventilation (EOV), which occurs mainly in heart failure patients, is associated with poor prognosis. There is limited information on EOV in other populations. Here we present a case study of a young woman with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis who was referred for cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). There were no indications of cardiac problems during the medical screening. However, during CPET, EOV was observed. Additional diagnostic tests showed no cardiovascular anomalies. After a training period, CPET was repeated and EOV had disappeared, showing that EOV can occur during exercise in patients without cardiac abnormalities and that improving the general fitness may reverse this breathing pattern.