Paroxysmal attack
(Redirected from
Paroxysm
)| Paroxysmal attack | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Paroxysms |
| Specialty | Neurology  |
Paroxysmal attacks or paroxysms (from Greek παροξυσμός) are a sudden recurrence or intensification of
breath-holding spells, epilepsy, malaria, tabes dorsalis, and Behçet's disease, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). It has also been noted as a symptom of gratification disorder in children.[citation needed
]
The word paroxysm means "sudden attack, outburst",[2] and comes from the Greek παροξυσμός (paroxusmos), 'irritation, exasperation'.[3]
Paroxysmal attacks in various disorders have been reported extensively, and
numbness and hemiparesis. They are typically different from other transient symptoms by their brevity (lasting no more than 2 minutes), frequency (from 1–2 times/day up to a few hundred times/day), stereotyped fashion and excellent response to drugs (usually carbamazepine). Withdrawal of symptoms without any residual neurological finding is another key feature in their recognition.[citation needed
]
See also
- BPPV
- Convulsion
- Female hysteria for "hysterical paroxysm"
- Relapse or remission, where symptoms become worse or better
References
- ISBN 978-1-4160-2364-7
- ^ paroxysm[dead link], on Oxford Dictionaries
- ^ παροξυσμός, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus