Paino L, Blasco N
Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria, CAP Guineueta, Atención Primaria, Institut Català de la Salut, Barcelona, España.
Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria, CAP Guineueta, Atención Primaria, Institut Català de la Salut, Barcelona, España.
Semergen. 2018 Mar;44(2):135-137. doi: 10.1016/j.semerg.2017.04.009. Epub 2017 Jun 3.
The dropped head syndrome, whether due to muscle weakness, rigidity, or ankylosis, is not uncommon in the elderly. It is characterised by a "chin-on-chest" reducible kyphosis, which is secondary to head muscle debility. It may be associated with a neuromuscular group of diseases such as polymyositis, chronic Inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, myasthenia gravis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and inclusion-body myositis. Some cases associated with hypothyroidism and hyperparathyroidism have also been described. Prognosis without treatment is poor. Therefore, familiarity with this condition, together with a complete anamnesis and physical examination, should lead us to the clinical suspicion and selection of the appropriate complementary tests. In this article, a case of dropped head syndrome is reported, as well as an algorithm for its diagnosis.