Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis Masquerading as a Compressive Neuraxial Lesion Following Lumbar Epidural Placement in a Parturient: A Case Report

A A Pract. 2021 Mar 30;15(4):e01431. doi: 10.1213/XAA.0000000000001431.

Abstract

We report the management of a parturient with undiagnosed hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HOKPP) who underwent epidural analgesia for labor, complicated by an unintentional dural puncture, and the eventual use of epidural anesthesia for cesarean delivery. Following discharge, she represented with lower extremity paresis. After being evaluated for a compressive neuraxial lesion, she made a full recovery following potassium repletion. The obstetric anesthetic implications for patients with HOKPP and how this disorder impacts the evaluation of acute motor weakness in the immediate postpartum period in a patient who recently received a neuraxial procedure are discussed.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Analgesia, Epidural* / adverse effects
  • Analgesia, Obstetrical* / adverse effects
  • Anesthesia, Obstetrical* / adverse effects
  • Cesarean Section
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis*
  • Pregnancy