Myasthenia gravis presenting as laryngeal stridor after exposure to chlorine gas

The patient described had myasthenia gravis manifested by laryngeal stridor after accidental exposure to chlorine gas. The diagnosis was established by correction of abnormal pulmonary function after injection of edrophonium chloride. The patient subsequently had generalized myasthenia gravis. The autoimmune injury causing this disease may have been the chlorine gas exposure, since the temporal relationship is very strong and chlorine is important in the modulation of acetylcholine synthesis.