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Epidemic PleurodyniaAka: Devil's Grip, Bornholm Disease, Dabney's Grip

Epidemiology
1. Acute viral infection of skeletal muscle
  1. Coxsackie Virus B or Echovirus most common
2. Sporadic person to person transmission
3. May occur in epidemics
Symptoms
1. Viral Prodrome
2. Sudden onset sharp stabbing, catching Chest Pain
3. Paroxysmal episodes
  1. Lasts 2-10 hours
  2. May recur over a 3 week period
4. Initial diaphoresis and severe Chest Pain
  1. Difficult to distinguish from Myocardial Infarction
Signs
1. Fever (over 38 degrees Celsius)
2. Cutaneous Hyperesthesia over involved muscles
3. Pleural rub (rare)
Diagnosis
1. Electrocardiogram normal
2. Chest XRay normal
3. Viral Cultures positive (throat or stool)

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This page was written by Scott Moses, MD, and was last revised 1/26/2008. Please send comments and questions to the editor. Contact information may be found on the page About the Family Practice Notebook. These pages are best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0.