title: Differential diagnosis of acute weakness.
abstract: Muscle weakness evolving rapidly over hours to days demands prompt diagnosis and proper treatment to prevent life-threatening respiratory insufficiency. Such weakness usually results from disease affecting some portion of the motor unit, such as poliomyelitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, botulism, and dyskalemic myopathy. The differential diagnosis of these processes is discussed.
mesh_terms: D001906:Botulism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007046:Hysteria / Q000175:diagnosis; D009046:Motor Neurons; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010243:Paralysis / Q000209:etiology; D011129:Polyradiculoneuropathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology