Table of Contents
- Overview
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- Prevention
- Images
Myotonia congenita is an inherited condition that affects muscle relaxation. It is congenital, meaning that it is present from birth.
Alternative Names
Thomsen's disease; Becker's disease
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Myotonia congenita is caused by a genetic change (mutation). It is passed down from either one or both parents to the children (inherited).
Myotonia congenita is caused by a problem in the part of the muscle cells that are needed for muscles to relax. Abnormal repeated electrical discharges occur in the muscles, causing a stiffness called myotonia.
Images
Review Date: 03/21/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of
General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
School of Medicine; Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosurgery
at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and Department of
Anatomy at UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed
Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical
Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
