Familial Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis: A Case Report

Abstract

Familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis is an autosomal dominantly inherited congenital diseasecharacterized by intermittent attacks of muscle weakness lasting for a few hours to a few daysand occurring a few times a year or once a day. Due to the shift of potassium into muscle cells,serum potassium level is decreased during attacks and it is in the normal range between twoattacks. A 21 year old male patient seen in the emergency department due to a hypokalemicparalysis attack occurring without any obvious triggering factor was presented in this article.

Keywords

• periodic paralysis
• hypokalemia
• autosomal dominant