Idiopathic hypokalemic periodic paralysis: A series of cases clustered in a part of Eastern India

Authors

  • Joydeep Mukherjee West Bengal Health University
  • Durga Prasad Chakraborty West Bengal Health University
  • Uma Sinharoy West Bengal Health University
  • Shankar Prasad Saha West Bengal Health University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v6i6.12482

Keywords:

hypokalemic, paralysis, idiopathic

Abstract

Background: Most of the studies on hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HOPP) in India and abroad had described secondary causes as the origin of the disease. We had observed a series of HOPP cases clustered within 40 kilometers around Bankura, a district town of West Bengal, Eastern India. The aim of our study was to probe into the clinical, biochemical and electrophysiological details of the cases, which were found to be idiopathic.

Material and Methods: 32 idiopathic HOPP cases, attending the neurology OPD or admitted in Bankura Sammilani Medical College & Hospital (BSMCH), were selected from October 2006 to May 2008. All the secondary causes of HOPP were excluded. The patients were evaluated and the data was analyzed.

Results: Cases were clustered within a 40-kilometer radius from Bankura town, location of BSMCH. Male: female = 4.3:1. Median age of onset was 23.5 years (4-50 years). Median number of attacks was 2.5, (1 to 70); duration 3 hours - 6 days, median 3 days. Strenous physical activity was most common precipitating factor. 25% had bulbar symptoms, 9.4% had bladder dysfunction and 46.9% had diminished to absent deep tendon reflexes. Mean serum potassium = 2.45 mEq/L (1.4 – 3.1 mEq/L).

Conclusion: We had observed a group of idiopathic HOPP cases within a relatively small area in a short span of time in contrast to most other Indian studies, where the share of idiopathic aetiology is comparatively smaller. This underscores the importance of a larger study with genetic analysis on the aetiology of the idiopathic HOPP in this area.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v6i6.12482

Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.6(6) 2015 83-87

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
Abstract
788
PDF
846

Author Biographies

Joydeep Mukherjee, West Bengal Health University

RMO cum Clinical Tutor, Department of Neuromedicine, NRS Medical College

Durga Prasad Chakraborty, West Bengal Health University

Assistant Professor, Department of Neuromedicine, NRS Medical College

Uma Sinharoy, West Bengal Health University

Post-doctoral trainee, Department of Neuromedicine, NRS Medical College

Shankar Prasad Saha, West Bengal Health University

Professor and head of the department, West Bengal Health University

Downloads

Additional Files

Published

2015-06-16

How to Cite

Mukherjee, J., Chakraborty, D. P., Sinharoy, U., & Saha, S. P. (2015). Idiopathic hypokalemic periodic paralysis: A series of cases clustered in a part of Eastern India. Asian Journal of Medical Sciences, 6(6), 83–87. https://doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v6i6.12482

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 6 (2015)

Section

Case Report and Review of Literature

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. The journal holds copyright and publishes the work under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC license that permits use, distribution and reprduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. The journal should be recognised as the original publisher of this work.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).