Evaluation of children with peripheral hypotonia by electroneuromyography

Abstract

Background Hypotonia is the phenotype of several clinical conditions that do not always lead to a favourable outcome. Thus, it is important to make an immediate and prompt diagnosis with the help of neurophysiological examinations. Objective The objective of this study was to assess infants and children presenting with peripheral hypotonia by nerve conduction study and electromyography to identify the most common cause of peripheral hypotonia in a sample of Egyptian children. Patients and methods Thirty-nine patients who had clinical criteria of peripheral hypotonia were included in this study, which was supported by negative brain MRI findings. These cases underwent complete neurological history, examination, nerve conduction study and electromyography. Results Peripheral neuropathy was observed in 18 (46.2%) cases, 11 (28.2%) had myopathic affection, seven (17.9%) had anterior horn cell (AHC) affection and three (7.7%) had the neuromuscular junction disorder. Conclusion Peripheral hypotonia in infants and children is an important disorder; therefore, it is essential to study these cases carefully. The most common neuromuscular disorder was peripheral neuropathy, whereas the least common cause was neuromuscular junction disorder.