Hypokalaemic paralysis precipitated by distal renal tubular acidosis secondary to Sjogren's syndrome.

摘要

A 43-year-old woman presented with a sudden onset of hypokalaemic paralysis requiring intubation and ventilatory support. Subsequent biochemical and clinical assessments established a diagnosis of distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA) in association with underlying Sjogren's syndrome as the aetiology of her profound hypokalaemia. Distal RTA is rare, but Sjogren's syndrome is one of the more common causes in adults and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients who present with hypokalaemic muscular paralysis.