Diagnosis for hypomagnesemic tetany

DIAGNOSIS OF HYPOMAGNESEMIC TETANY

Diagnosis

  • Clinical signs - incoordination, hyperaesthesia and tetany
  • Laboratory measurement of blood magnesium levels
  • CSF magnesium concentration
  • Herd diagnosis done by assessing urine magnesium concentration

Differential diagnosis

  • Acute lead poisoning - blindness, mania. History will reveal possibility of access to lead.
  • Bovine spongiform encephalopathy - longer clinical course.
  • Rabies - straining, ascending paralysis, no tetany.
  • Nervous form of ketosis - marked ketonuria.
  • Poisoning by claviceps purpurea - cerebellar ataxia.
  • Tetanus - prolonged duration, bloat, prolapse of 3rd eyelid.
  • Strychnine poisoning- no protrusion but retraction of eye ball.
  • Polio encephalomalacia - history and clinical signs
  • Enterotoxaemia - history of endemicity with clinico-pathological findings.
  • Avitaminosis -A - Analysing composition of ration
  • Poisoning by organic mercurials and arsenics - history of access to poison
Last modified: Friday, 20 January 2012, 6:37 AM