Letter: Myokymia vs transient rippling of the skin.

Abstract

To the Editor.— In the January 1975 issue of theArchives(111:130), Tonkens and Eng, commenting on the case reported by Fine et al under the title Transient Rippling of the Skin (theArchives, society transactions, 110:141, 1974), suggested that the condition is an instance of myokymia. We have examined all of the references they gave and cannot concur. Myokymia, which means muscle movements in waves, is described in these references as sporadic or continuous undulations caused by involuntary contractions of voluntary muscles in the form of fascicular or fibrillary twitchings or as movements in a bag of worms. Moreover, the patients involved were adults who were afflicted with other conditions, such as hypoglycemia, disturbed thyroid function, myotonia, and wasting of muscle. Our case was that of a healthy infant without any suggestion of concurrent, incipient, or further metabolic or neural disease. Also, the movements of the skin in our