Role of magnesium in abdominal wall dyskinesia.

Objective: Jerky involuntary intermittent abdominal wall movements are mentioned with numerous names including abdominal wall dyskinasia and belly dancer’s dyskinesia. Literature incorporates a sizeable amount of case reports. Patterson analyzed the largest series published in 2011. Although associated with central and peripheral nervous system disorders and published precipitating factors like anxiety, operations particularly abdominal, diarrhea, nutritional imbalances, pregnancy under the umbrella of idiopathic/psychogenic /functional belly’s dancer’s dyskinesia. Various investigations including blood count, ESR, CT, MRI, ECG plain radiography do not reflect any abnormality. Similarly a large number of modalities are utilized to manage the disorder from diazepam to phrenic nerve block; however no definite treatment has been mentioned. Magnesium calms down the excitability of central and peripheral nervous systems by inhibition of NMDA receptors and calcium influx mediated acetylcholine release. Magnesium deficiency results in excitability of the excitable tissues resulting in neuromuscular hyperactivity. We are reporting a patient who presented with abdominal wall dyskinasia, managed successfully with an infusion of magnesium sulphate which has never been described.