Status Dystonicus as an Acute Sequelae Following Anoxic Cerebral Damage

BACKGROUND: Status dystonicus (SD) is the term used for extreme, continuous, generalized muscle contractions that are poorly responsive to treatment. Here, we report a rare case of acute hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy presenting with SD. CASE REPORT: A young male sustained cerebral hypoxia following a cardiac event and presented with opisthotonic posturing and dystonia refractory to medical therapy. His serum creatine phosphokinase was high and his urine tested positive for myoglobin. DISCUSSION: SD as an acute sequelae following acute brain hypoxia is rare. Management of brain anoxia is challenging, even more so when the presentation is compounded by refractory SD.