Summary
Disease characteristics. Hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HOKPP) is characterized by a paralytic form and a myopathic form.
The paralytic form is characterized by attacks of reversible flaccid paralysis with concomitant hypokalemia, usually leading to paraparesis or tetraparesis but sparing the respiratory muscles and heart. Acute paralytic crises usually last at least several hours and sometimes days. Some individuals have only one episode in a lifetime; more commonly, crises occur repeatedly: daily, weekly, monthly, or less often. The major triggering factors are carbohydrate-rich meals and rest after exercise; rarely, cold-induced hypokalemic paralysis has been reported. The interval between crises may vary and may be prolonged by preventive treatment with potassium salts or acetazolamide. The age of onset of the first attack ranges from one to 20 years; the frequency of attacks is highest between ages 15 and 35 and then decreases with age. ( Continue reading here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1338/
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