Dystonia: differential diagnosis

Other movement disorders

• Essential tremor: head tremor improves on lying down
• Chorea
• Myoclonus
• Paroxysmal dyskinesia
• Stereotypies
• Tics

Spasms: causes

Postural abnormalities: causes

Structural abnormalities

Other neurological differential diagnosis

Features suggesting acquired against hereditary dystonia

References

1. Albanese A, Bhatia K, Bressman SB, et al. Phenomenology and classification of dystonia: a consensus update. Mov Disord 2013; 28:863-873. 
2. de Carvalho Aguiar PM, Ozelius LJ. Classification and genetics of dystonia. Lancet Neurol 2002; 1:316-325. 
3. van Egmond ME, Kuiper A, Eggink H, et al. Dystonia in children and adolescents: a systematic review and a new diagnostic algorithm. JNNP 2015; 86:774-781.
4. Camargos S, Cardoso F. Understanding dystonia: diagnostic issues and how to overcome them. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2016; 74:921-936.
5. Barcelos AC, Patriota GC, Netto AU. Nontraumatic atlantoaxial rotatory subluxation: grisel syndrome. Case report and literature review. Global Spine J 2014; 4:179-186.
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Related checklists

• Dystonia: classifications
• Dystonia: clinical features
• Dystonia: alleviating manoeuvres
• Toe walking