Stiff-Person Syndrome: Diagnostic Difficulty / 대한족부족관절학회지

ABSTRACT

Stiff-person syndrome is a rare disorder, and the natural history of the syndrome has not been completely ascertained. The symptoms range from mild to severe and can progress over time the final result can be significant disability. However, this syndrome is often misdiagnosed due to a lack of understanding of the clinical manifestations. We report the case of a patient who presented with slowly progressing gait disturbance and lower extremity pain and was later diagnosed as suffering from stiff-person syndrome. The patient experienced symptomatic improvement after the administration of benzodiazepines. No recurrence of symptoms has been reported. If the characteristic clinical features and electromyography findings of the syndrome are accurately interpreted, diagnosis of patients with abnormal muscle tension can be effectively done.