BELLY DANCER'S SYNDROME - A DIAGNOSTIC CHALLANGE

Authors

  • Ana Raquel Moreira Department of Pediatrics, Centro Hospitalar Médio Ave
  • Ana Cristina Freitas Department of Pediatrics, Centro Hospitalar Médio Ave
  • Felisbela Rocha Department of Pediatrics, Centro Hospitalar Médio Ave
  • Raquel Cardoso Department of Pediatrics, Centro Hospitalar Médio Ave
  • Paula Fonseca Department of Pediatrics, Centro Hospitalar Médio Ave

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25753/BirthGrowthMJ.v26.i1.11802

Keywords:

Belly Dancer’s syndrome, abdominal movements, adolescence, trauma, involuntary movements

Abstract

Introduction: Belly Dancer’s syndrome is a rare movement disorder characterized by involuntary contractions of the diaphragm, causing abnormal movements in the abdominal wall. Many different causes were described such as trauma, infections, metabolic disorders and drug ingestion. Sometimes the cause remains uncertain and a psychogenic disturb has been suggested in others.

Case report: A 14-year-old female presented with episodic involuntary movements of the abdomen that had started one week after falling. Besides these abnormal movements, physical examination was unremarkable. Belly Dancer’s syndrome was suspected and the neuroimaging revealed C3 and C4 nerve root injuries and several vertebral lesions. The treatment performed included oral chlorpromazine, immobilization with Jewett vest, rest and physiotherapy, with remarkable symptoms improvement.

Discussion: This clinical presentation of this syndrome is quite unusual, which may lead to late diagnosis or ineffective treatments. We report a case of traumatic Belly Dancer’s syndrome that improved significantly with stabilization of the lesion.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Phillips JR, Eldridge FL. Respiratory myoclonus (Leeuwenhoek’s disease). N Engl J Med. 1973 Dec 27;289:1390-5.

Rigatto M, Medeiros N. Diaphragmatic flutter. Report of a case and review of literature. Am J Med. 1962 Jan;32:103-9.

Inglhilleri M, Conte A, Frasca V, et al. Belly Dance Syndrome Due to Spinal Myoclonus. Mov Disord. 2006; 2:394-6.

Patterson V. Belly Dancer’s Syndrome: causes, clinical presentations, and treatment. In: http://www.logan.edu/mm/

files/LRC/Senior-Research/2011-Dec-31.pdf. Accessed Jun 2014.

Romanes GJ. Cunningham’s manual of practical anatomy. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1986.

Iliceto G, Thompson PD, Day BL, et al. Diaphragmatic flutter, the moving umbilicus syndrome, and “belly dancer’s” dyskinesia. Mov Disord. 1990;5:15-22.

Alvarez MV, Driver-Dunckley EE, Caviness JN, et al. Case series of painful legs and moving toes: clinical and electrophysiologic observations. Mov Disord. 2008;23:2062-6.

Chen, R. Remtulla, H. Bolton, C. Electrophysiological study of diaphragmatic myoclonus. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1995; 58:480-3.

Katz ES, Gauda E, Crawford T, et al. Respiratory flutter syndrome an underrecognized cause of respiratory failure in neonates. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001;164:1161-4.

Ramírez JD, Gonzales M, Hoyos JA, Grisales L. Aleteo diafragmático. Descripción de caso y revisión de la literatura. Neurología. 2015;30:249-51.

Panigrahy N, Kumar PP and Chirla DK. Respiratory Flutter Symdrome in a Neonate. Indian Pediatr 2013;50:242-3.

Downloads

Published

2017-04-03

How to Cite

1.
Moreira AR, Freitas AC, Rocha F, Cardoso R, Fonseca P. BELLY DANCER’S SYNDROME - A DIAGNOSTIC CHALLANGE. REVNEC [Internet]. 2017Apr.3 [cited 2024Mar.28];26(1):49-52. Available from: https://revistas.rcaap.pt/nascercrescer/article/view/11802

Issue

Section

Case Reports

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 > >>