paramyotonia

Term: paramyotonia

Literally meaning: “beyond myotonia”

Origin: Anc Greek

παρα-/para-(=pefix denoting  intentification, “beside”, “near”, “contrary of” “side by side” "past by")  

+ μυς/mys/ (=muscle) > μύω/myo(=enclosed like the muscle inside body or mouse in its nest=epimys)

+τόνος/tonos (= the normal state of elastic tension or partial contraction in resting muscles) > τανύω/taneo(=strain)

Coined/History

Paramyotonia was defined in 1886 by Eulenburg in order to describe a rare congenital disorder  with aytosomal dominant inheritance. In thiw disorder stiffness is of major importance as long as muscle is exposed to cold. This paradoxical myotonia is the reason Eulenburg termed the disease paramyotonia.

(Source: R Reinhardt and F Lehmann-Horn,  Physiological Reviews, Vol 65, No2, 1985)

Definition

Paramyotonia is an abnormal state characterized by difficulty in relaxing contracted voluntary muscle (myotonia) especially in  the proximal muscles of the limbs, eyelids, and tongue. Paramyotonia is manifested in paramyotonia congenita;  a hereditary rare disorder.