OBJECTIVE: To discuss the most important aspects for the performance of a differential diagnosis among the main neuromuscular disorders in children, which include diseases affecting the motor unity, i.e. spinal motor neurons, peripheral nerves, neuromuscular junction and muscular fibers. SOURCES: The review of the clinical aspects that should be considered for a prompt differential diagnosis am...

A wide variety of neuromuscular diseases affect children, including central nervous system disorders such as cerebral palsy and spinal cord injury; motor neuron disorders such as spinal muscular atrophy; peripheral nerve disorders such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease; neuromuscular junction disorders such as congenital myasthenia gravis; and muscle fiber disorders such as Duchenne's muscular dys...

Neuromuscular disorders are commonly encountered in the critical care setting. Patients with known neuromuscular disorders, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome or myasthenia gravis, are admitted when weakness compromises the patient’s ability to protect his or her airway or threatens ventilatory failure. Patients admitted with ventilatory failure of unknown cause may be diagnosed with a neuromuscul...

Immune-mediated neuromuscular disorders include pathologies of the peripheral nervous system, neuromuscular junction, and muscles. If overlap syndromes (or the association of almost two autoimmune disorders) are recognized, the simultaneous occurrence of several autoimmune neuromuscular disorders is rare. We describe two patients presenting the simultaneous occurrence of inflammatory neuropathy...

channelopathies are disturbances of the cellular membrane channels function. ion channels are actually membrane-bound proteins that perform key functions in virtually all human cells. these channels play pivotal role in the function of excitable tissues such as muscle and nerve. so channelopathies are diverse clinical entities involving many organs and systems (i.e., endocrine, respiratory, gas...