Belly Dancer Dyskinesia During Pregnancy: Case Report from Harar, Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Introduction: Belly dancer dyskinesia (BDD) is an involuntary waving and writhing type of abdominal wall movement, which resemble those of a belly dancer. Worldwide only four cases of belly dancer dyskinesia during pregnancy were reported. In two of the reported cases, it has recurred in the succeeding pregnancy while the remaining one did not mention about the recurrence. I am reporting a 25 year old primigravida woman with gestational age of 25 weeks plus 6 days presented with involuntary, rhythmic and painful abdominal movement of three weeks duration and diagnosed as belly dancer dyskinesia after investigations. The abnormal body movement disappeared after delivery and did not recur in the second pregnancy. Conclusion: "Belly Dancer Dyskinesia" during pregnancy is a very rare type of disease with unknown etiology and a little known effective treatment against it.

A case report and a brief literature review of belly dancer’s dyskinesia in a pregnant patient

“…BDD in pregnancy is even rarer, there have only been five reported cases. [4][5][6][7] Currently, there is limited study regarding this condition, and our patient would be the second reported case from Ethiopia.…”

A Case Report of Belly Dancer Dyskinesia in a 54 Years Old Female: Gastroenterology Meets Neurology

“…[3][4][5][6] During pregnancy and post-partum periods, its occurrence has been attributed to thoracic cord compression by the gravid uterus. 7 Centrally, the respiratory center of the rostral medulla has also been implicated in its pathophysiology. 4 Even though the diagnosis is always clinical, it can be supported by fluoroscopy and diaphragmatic electromyogram (EMG) showing rhythmic contractions of the diaphragm.…”

Belly dancer's dyskinesia during pregnancy: A rare case from South Korea

“…Belly dancer's dyskinesia (BDD) is a rare disorder characterized by involuntary movements of the abdominal wall 1,2 . We present a rare case of a pregnant woman with BDD; only five similar cases have been reported.…”

“…Three hypotheses exist for the etiology of abnormal abdominal movements in BDD of pregnancy: (1) gravid uterus compresses the spinal cord, (2) vitamin B12 deficiency, and (3) irritation of the phrenic nerve 2–4 …”

“…Diagnosis of BDD is challenging because diagnostic criteria have not been established, and diagnostic modalities (blood tests, radiologic imaging, and electromyography) have been unremarkable 1,2 …”