Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis in a black male.

The findings and course in a 55-year-old Black man with thyrotoxic periodic paralysis are described. This disorder appears to have a strong predilection for Orientals (approximately 90% of reported cases) with occasional reports in Caucasians and only one previous description in a Black. HLA phenotyping of the reported patient demonstrated neither of the two genetic markers previously noted among Chinese with thyrotoxic periodic paralysis, indicating that these haplotypes do not serve as markers for the disorder in Blacks.