Childhood onset of acquired neuromyotonia: association with vitamin D deficiency

Abstract

Purpose/Aim: Acquired neuromyotonia or Isaacs syndrome is a type of peripheral nerve hyperexcitability of autoimmune origin. It may occur as an isolated, paraneoplastic or accompanied with some autoimmune diseases. This report describes acquired neuromyotonia in a child with a new reported association with vitamin D deficiency.

Case report: A 9-year-old child, in whom the diagnosis of acquired neuromyotonia was made by clinical and typical electromyographic findings. All paraneoplastic and autoimmune workup was normal, except for a vitamin D deficiency state. A dramatic improvement was recorded on both clinical and electrophysiological base after vitamin D replacement.

Conclusion: An in-depth future analysis of vitamin D status in patients with neuromyotonia will help to establish whether the association of neuromyotonia with vitamin D deficiency is casual or whether these two conditions may be causally related.

Keywords:

• Neuromyotonia
• myotonic discharges
• pediatric-onset
• vitamin D deficiency