Hypokalemic periodic paralysis is a rare syndrome which may occur either in the familial form, with autosomal dominant inheritance, or sporadically.
A 35 year old male with the complaints of palpitation, dyspnea, neck swelling and periodic paralysis of the extremities, accompanied by hyperthyroidism was reported.
Paralysis usually occurred in the lower extremities two or three times monthly for a period of about two years. The fit lasted from one to four hours, in which no sensory or speech disturbances were noted. The respiratory, eyeball and swallowing
movement were also normal. Family history was negative and no other significant pathological laboratory data were obtained including the normal serum potassium level. Antithyroid treatment resulted in a complete disappearance of the paralytic
episodes
with the improvement of the other clinical symptoms.
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