MYOCLONUS

MYOCLONUS: Excerpt from Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care

The differential diagnosis of this sign is similar to the differential diagnosis of tremors (see page 521), but a few additional possibilities should be kept in mind. Idiopathic myoclonus epilepsy, petit mal epilepsy (with the petit mal triad), grand mal epilepsy, and hysteria are the important ones to remember. Congenital hypsarrhythmia may present with salaam seizures. Decerebrate states are associated with myoclonic jerks in which there are flexion of the arms and extension of the legs. Phenothiazine and other tranquilizers may cause myoclonus. l-Dopa will cause oculogyric crisis and smacking of lips. The workup of these conditions includes a skull x-ray, EEG (preferably sleep), possibly a CT scan, and, if there is no evidence of increased intracranial pressure, a spinal tap. It is recommended that the patient be referred to a neurologist for this workup.

Book Source Details

• Book Title: Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care
• Author(s): R. Douglas Collins
• Year of Publication: 2007
• Copyright Details: Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care, Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

More About Myoclonus epilepsy

• Back to disease: Myoclonus epilepsy: Introduction
• Next Book Extract About Myoclonus epilepsy: Fasciculations (Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
• More Book Extracts: All Online Books for Myoclonus epilepsy

More Medical Textbooks Online about Myoclonus epilepsy

Review other book chapters online related to Myoclonus epilepsy:

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

More About This Book: Title: Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care Authors: R. Douglas Collins Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Copyright: 2007 ISBN: 0-7817-6812-8

 » Next page: Fasciculations (Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))

Rate This Website

What do you think about the features of this website? Take our user survey and have your say:

Website User Survey

Medical Tools & Articles:

Next articles:

• Fasciculations (Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
• Myoclonus (Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
• Seizures, generalized tonic-clonic (Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
• Seizures, absence (Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
• Seizures, complex partial (Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))

Tools & Services:

• Bookmark this page
• Symptom Search
• Symptom Checker
• Medical Dictionary
• Give your feedback

Medical Articles:

• Disease & Treatments Search
• Misdiagnosis Center
• Full list of interesting articles

Forums & Message Boards

• Ask or answer a question at the Boards:
• I cannot get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for my condition?
• See all the Boards.

Enter your search terms Submit search form
Search The Web Search wrongdiagnosis.com

Common Health Mistakes

Symptom
Checker

Search Specialists by State and City