Case Report: Propriospinal Myoclonus

Catherine Smith, Jason Ramtahal

Department of Neurology, South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Torbay, UK.

DOI: 10.4236/crcm.2014.36081                

Abstract

This report presents a case of propriospinal myoclonus (PSM) in a previously fit and well female patient who presented with truncal jerking movements when relaxed. Propriospinal myoclonus is a rare condition, of which 80% of the aetiology is idiopathic. It is characterised by involuntary jerking movements of the trunk due to spreading activity via intrinsic propriospinal pathways along the spinal cord. Polymyography is mandatory in the diagnosis of priopriospinal myoclonus however in discerning the differential diagnoses it is inferior to magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging. The management of propriospinal myoclonus is dependent on aetiology. Clonazepam has been shown to be effective in the treatment of idiopathic PSM for symptomatic relief.

Keywords

Myoclonus, PSM, Polymyography

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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