Hyperkinetic movement disorder in an 11-year-old child treated with bilateral pallidal stimulators

Pallidal stimulation is widely used in the treatment of movement disorder in adults but is less well reported in the treatment of dystonia in children. Despite inconsistent results in the past, its use in dystonia in Parkinson's disease is again attracting interest with promising results. Bilateral as well as unilateral pallidotomies have been performed and are felt to be required in some cases of dystonia. Use of depth electrodes to provide long-term electrical stimulation to pallidum and other basal ganglia structures has recently become more widespread. This technique is felt to have a lower morbidity, especially in bilateral procedures. Here we present the case of an 11-year-old boy with severe hyperkinetic movement disorder who showed sustained improvement after bilateral pallidal stimulation implantation.