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Hypokalemic periodic paralysis: two case reports
1Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
Pediatric Emergency Care
|September 1, 1988
Insights
Hypokalemic periodic paralysis can cause sudden, severe weakness in children. Prompt serum potassium testing is crucial for diagnosing this condition and initiating timely treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HPP) is a rare neuromuscular disorder characterized by episodic muscle weakness.
- It is often associated with low serum potassium levels.
- HPP can present acutely in children, mimicking other neurological emergencies.
Abstract:
We report two cases of hypokalemic periodic paralysis in children presenting to the emergency department with diffuse weakness and no antecedent history of neurologic disease. The literature is briefly reviewed. Any child with acute weakness and normal mental status should undergo serum potassium determination to allow prompt diagnosis and therapy.