Paroxysmal dystonia as the initial manifestation of multiple sclerosis
J. R. Berger, W. A. Sheremata and E. Melamed
Paroxysmal dystonia was the initial manifestation of multiple sclerosis
(MS) in eight patients. The disorder was generally characterized by
dystonic posturing of unilateral extremities, averaging less than one
minute in duration. Facial grimacing and dysarthria occurred in two of the
eight patients. This paroxysmal phenomenon was frequently the cause of
diagnostic confusion. The time elapsing before other neurological symptoms
of MS developed was as long as ten years.
