Non-epileptic Events of Paroxysmal Dystonic Choreoathetosis in ?Two Patients with Cerebral Calcification Due to ?Hypoparathyroidism

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 13(4); 1995 > Article

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 1995;13(4): 1020-1025.

뇌실질의 석회화를 보인 부갑상선 기능저하증 환자에서 나타난 ?비간질성 발작성 근긴장성 무도병 아테토시스

최영철, 김재문, 남선우, 정진상, 이애영

충남대학교 신경과, 삼성의료원 신경과

Non-epileptic Events of Paroxysmal Dystonic Choreoathetosis in ?Two Patients with Cerebral Calcification Due to ?Hypoparathyroidism

Young-Cheol Choi, M.D., Jae-Moon Kim, M.D., Seon-Woo Nam, M. D., Chin-Sang Chung, M.D., Ae-Young Lee, M.D.

Department of Neurology, Chungnam National University Medical College and Hospital, and Samsung Medical Center

Abstract

There are diverse neurologic manifestations in patients with idiopathic or pseudohypoparathyroidism. Although one knows that hypocalcemia provokes symptoms of tetany, there is little knowldege about the paroxysmal dystonic choreoathetosis(PKC). We report two patients with paroxysmal symptoms resulting from hypocalcemia associated with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism and pseudohypoparathryoidism respectively, which were misdiagnosed and treated as epilepsy. They showed repetitive paroxysmal dystonic choreoathetotic movements that lasted for several seconds and typically induced by sudden voluntary movement. The ne-uroimaging showed bilateral symmetrical calcifications., mainly in the basal ganglia. In the clinical setting, these types of paroxysmal movements may be readily misdiagnosed as partial seizure or tetany. Therefore, not only the laboratory work up for hypocalcemia, but careful history taking and clinical observation is important in differential diagnosis of epilepsy and paroxysmal movements in the patient with hypocalcemia.