Primary dystonia: a surgical disease? Helen Bronte-Stewart and Shannon Kilgore

DISCUSSION Dystonia is a movement disorder characterized by involuntary, sustained muscle contractions with twisting, and repetitive movements. 2 Dystonia may affect only certain regions of the body (focal dystonia) or may be generalized. Primary generalized dystonia is often hereditary; the DYT1 mutation is positive in more than 50% of early-onset cases. 3 Secondary generalized dystonia usually results from a metabolic disorder or structural brain insult.