DROPPED HEAD SYNDROME AND BENT SPINE SYNDROME - 2 SEPARATE CLINICAL ENTITIES OR DIFFERENT MANIFESTATIONS OF AXIAL MYOPATHY

Four elderly women are reported on with myopathies manifesting with is olated or predominant involvement of the paraspinal musculature. In th ree, the neck extensors were affected foremost, leading to ''dropped h ead syndrome''. In one, weakness of the thoracic paraspinal muscles ca used ''bent spine syndrome''. It is suggested that these clinically di stinct syndromes are caused by a primary tardive myopathic condition p redominantly affecting the entire axial musculature.