Introduction: Myoclonus is an involuntary, jerky body movement that is a sign of encephalopathy due to various underlying pathologies, one of which is dengue encephalopathy. Often, these movements are subtle and suppressed by the frequent use of sedatives and paralytic agents.
Case report: A 67-year-old male diagnosed with dengue encephalopathy presented with involuntary jerky movements of his face, which were confirmed as orofacial multifocal myoclonus by electroencephalogram (EEG) studies.
Conclusion: It is important to recognize myoclonic movements and look for an underlying cause.
Sutter R, Ristic A, Rüegg S, et al. Myoclonus in the critically ill: diagnosis, management, and clinical impact. Clin Neurophysiol 2016;127(1):67–80. DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2015.08.009. PMID: 26428447.
Carod-Artal F. Neurological manifestations of dengue viral infection. Res Rep Trop Med 2014;2014(5):95–104. DOI: 10.2147/RRTM.S55372
Verma R, Sharma P, Garg RK, et al. Neurological complications of dengue fever: experience from a tertiary center of north India. Ann Indian Acad Neurol 2011;14(4):272–278. DOI: 10.4103/0972-2327.91946
Bhushan B, Sardana V, Maheshwari D, et al. Immune-mediated neurological manifestations of dengue virus—a study of clinico-investigational variability, predictors of neuraxial involvement, and outcome with the role of immunomodulation. Neurol India 2018;66(6):1634–1643. DOI: 10.4103/0028-3886.246273
Eberhardt O, Topka H. Myoclonic disorders. Brain Sci 2017;7(8):103. DOI: 10.3390/brainsci7080103
Hanajima R, Okabe S, Terao Y, et al. Difference in intracortical inhibition of the motor cortex between cortical myoclonus and focal hand dystonia. Clin Neurophysiol 2008;119(6):1400–1407. DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2008.02.009