Hypokalemic paralysis in febrile thrombocytopenic patients: A case series

Hypokalemic paralysis in association with febrile thrombocytopenia, especially dengue fever, has been gaining recognition in recent years in India. Till now there have been no reports from western India of this entity. We present here seven cases of hypokalemic paralysis with febrile thrombocytopenia. Two of our cases were dengue-positive. Remarkably, all of our patients were young males 27-40 years of age. All the patients presented with history of fever and quadriparesis, and on investigation had thrombocytopenia with hypokalemia. All the patients responded well to intravenous potassium correction, with complete recovery of motor power. We emphasize that hypokalemic paralysis should be an important consideration in a febrile thrombocytopenic patient presenting with acute quadriparesis.