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Case Report
 
Acquired non-thyrotoxic hypokalemic periodic paralysis: A case report
Keerthana K. Kumar1, Zuhal Kadhim2, Jagan K. Mohan3
1Saint James School of Medicine, Bonaire, Netherlands.
2Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA.
3Department of Neurology, Holy Cross Hospital, Chicago, IL.

Article ID: 100007N06KK2016
doi:10.5348/N06-2016-7-CR-1

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Keerthana K. Kumar
Saint James School of Medicine
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How to cite this article
Kumar KK, Kadhim Z, Mohan JK. Acquired non-thyrotoxic hypokalemic periodic paralysis: A case report. Edorium J Neurol 2016;3:1–3.


Abstract
Introduction: Periodic paralysis is a group of rare neuromuscular disorders presenting with episodes of painless paralysis often incited by stress such as exercise. Differentiating hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HPP) from secondary hypokalemia can present a challenge.
Case Report: A 26-year-old Hispanic male with no significant past medical history presented with periodic muscular weakness, areflexia, and paralysis. The patient's potassium level on admission was 1.6 mEq/l with no other electrolyte abnormalities or electrocardiogram changes. There was a complete resolution of symptoms with IV and oral potassium. The diagnosis of acquired non-thyrotoxic HPP was given based on the patient's history, his presenting symptoms, ruling out secondary causes of hypokalemia, and resolution with correction of potassium levels.
Conclusion: Hypokalemic periodic paralysis most commonly affects Asians, and is tightly associated with thyrotoxicosis. Treatment of HPP relies on rapid identification and understanding of underlying cause. In an acute disabling attack, as seen in this patient, oral potassium and 24 hour cardiac monitoring for rebound hyperkalemia are recommended. We report an uncommon case of acquired non-thyrotoxic HPP, as indicated by the patient's history, presentation, initial laboratory values, and resolution after potassium correction.

Keywords: Non-thyrotoxic hypokalemic, Periodic paralysis, Potassium level, Muscular weakness


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Author Contributions
Keerthana K. Kumar – Substantial contributions to conception and design, Acquisition of data, Analysis and interpretation of data, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Zuhal Kadhim – Analysis and interpretation of data, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Jagan K. Mohan – Analysis and interpretation of data, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Guarantor of submission
The corresponding author is the guarantor of submission.
Source of support
None
Conflict of interest
Authors declare no conflict of interest.
Copyright
© 2016 Keerthana K. Kumar et al. This article is distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original author(s) and original publisher are properly credited. Please see the copyright policy on the journal website for more information.