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A Report of Two Further Cases

W. H. TRETHOWAN, M.R.C.P.; J. L. ALLSOP, M.R.A.C.P.; BRIAN TURNER, M.B.

Arch Neurol. 1960;3(4):448-456.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

The object of this paper is to report two cases of an obscure neuromuscular disorder first described by Moersch and Woltman¹ and called by them the "stiff-man" syndrome. Since then only a few cases have been recorded, one by Asher² and another by Price and Allott.³ In addition, Campbell⁴ and O'Conner⁵ have each made a brief report of a patient in whom this diagnosis was thought, retrospectively, to be correct.

It is possible that the disorder may not be as rare as it seems: since emotional disturbance is one of several factors which may lead to exacerbation of symptoms, these may be mistakenly regarded as of psychogenic origin. Thus, 5 of Moersch and Woltman's 14 patients were initially labeled as "functional"; for 10 years Asher's patient was thought to be suffering from "hysterical spasms," and a similar view was taken of O'Connor's patient.

The first . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia

Footnotes
Received for publication June 10, 1960.

W. H. Trethowan is Professor of Psychiatry, University of Sydney.

Brian Turner is Neuropathologist, New South Wales Division of Mental Hygiene.

J. L. Allsop is Hon. Assistant Physician, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Consulting Neurologist, Northcott Neurological Centre, Sydney.

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