Movement Disorders in Children: Recognition and Management in the Emergency Department

Points & Pearls Excerpt

• The differential diagnosis for pathologic abnormal movements is broad. (See Table 1.)
• When performing history-taking for patients presenting with abnormal movements, differentiate between characteristic pathologic movements that might belong to a certain phenotype, as that can help narrow down the differential diagnosis.
• Table 2 lists common physical examination findings for acute cerebellar ataxia (ACA), anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis (NMDARE), and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM).
• For patients with abnormal movement or neurological findings, perform thorough musculoskeletal examination to avoid missing an injury that could be causing abnormal gait and/or movement.