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Published on: September 12, 2020
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Induced Status Dystonicus in a Child with West Syndrome
1Department of Pediatrics, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, India.
Abstract:
Dystonia is a movement disorder characterized by involuntary sustained or intermittent muscle contraction causing repetitive twisting movements and abnormal postures. Status dystonicus (SD) is an enigmatic disease of cryptic etiology. We hereby report a child with West syndrome (WS) who went on to develop SD following intramuscular adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) injection. An 11-month-old male child presented with complaints of flexor spasms for 2 months. The diagnosis of WS was confirmed by electroencephalography (EEG), which showed hypsarrhythmia. Intramuscular ACTH was added, and oral trihexyphenidyl was started for dystonia. On day 7 of ACTH, the child developed frequent opisthotonic posturing. Management protocol for grade IV SD was initiated. Administration of N-terminal of ACTH in rat locus coeruleus has been shown to produce human dystonia-like movement and abnormal posturing.
How To Cite This Article:
Singh J, Aulakh R. Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Induced Status Dystonicus in a Child with West Syndrome. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(8):961-962.
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