Periodic paralysis is a muscle disorder that belongs to the family of diseases called channelopathies, manifested by episodes of painless muscle weakness. Periodic paralysis is classified as hypokalemic when episodes occur in association with low potassium levels. Most cases are hereditary. Acquired cases have been described in association with hyperthyroidism. Diagnosis is made on clinical and...

A 17-year-old girl suffered from episodes of flaccid paralysis during each menstrual cycle. No relevant changes were found in potassium concentrations in serum or erythrocytes, nor in the values of pituitary, ovarian, adrenal or thyroid hormones. Acetazolamide administration prevented the attacks.

Hypokalemic periodic paralysis is an uncommon manifestation of thyrotoxicosis and the condition is most commonly reported in young Asian men. Patient often presents with acute onset symmetrical flaccid muscle paralysis and proximal limb muscles may be more severely involved compared to distal muscles. Thyroid swelling as well as features of thyrotoxicosis may not be overt. A very high index of ...

BACKGROUND Periodic paralyses and paramyotonia congenita are rare disorders causing disabling weakness and myotonia. Mutations in sodium, calcium, and potassium channels have been recognized as causing disease. OBJECTIVE To analyze the clinical phenotype of patients with and without discernible genotype and to identify other mutations in ion channel genes associated with disease. METHODS Th...

In 1934 Biemond and Daniels first showed that the serum potassium level fell during paralytic episodes in patients with familial periodic paralysis. Subsequently a normokalaemic form of the disease was recognized (1951), while more recently a hyperkalaemic variety was described by Helweg-Larsen, Hauge, and Sagild (1955). This last type of periodic paralysis was given the name adynamia episodica...

CECILIA V. ROJAS,1 ALAN NEELY,2 GABRIELA VELASCO-LOYDEN,1 VERÓNICA PALMA,3 AND MANUEL KUKULJAN3 1Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnologı́a de los Alimentos, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 138-11, Santiago; and 3Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 70005-7, Santiago, Chile; and 2Department of Physiology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubb...

We examined the ability of local anesthetics to correct altered inactivation properties of rat skeletal muscle Na+channels containing the equine hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (eqHPP) mutation when expressed in Xenopusoocytes. Increased time constants of current decay in eqHPP channels compared with wild-type channels were restored by 1 mM benzocaine but were not altered by lidocaine or mexile...

Sah, Rajan L., Robert G. Tsushima, and Peter H. Backx. Effects of local anesthetics on Na1 channels containing the equine hyperkalemic periodic paralysis mutation. Am. J. Physiol. 275 (Cell Physiol. 44): C389–C400, 1998.—We examined the ability of local anesthetics to correct altered inactivation properties of rat skeletal muscle Na1 channels containing the equine hyperkalemic periodic paralysi...

Aims. To report outcomes of the simultaneous surgical correction of vertical rectus paralysis combined with moderate-to-large angle horizontal strabismus. Methods. If a preoperative forced duction test was positive, antagonist muscle weakening surgery was performed, and then augmented partial rectus muscle transposition (APRMT) + partial horizontal rectus recession-resection was performed 2 mon...

An interesting case of familial periodic paralysis came under my care quite recently and incidentally illustrated the hereditary nature of the disease. As the condition is so rare, a resume of the main features of the disease may be given. The disease is seldom seen; only 200 cases have been reported so far. It is characterized by a temporary flaccid paralysis of the muscles of the extremities ...