Masturbation mimicking paroxysmal dystonia or dyskinesia in a young girl

Abstract

We present the case of a young girl with periodic posturing during masturbation. The child had been evaluated by several physicians and underwent numerous diagnostic tests before the spells were seen by a physician and determined to be self-stimulatory and not paroxysmal dystonia. Masturbation is a normal and common behavior in young children and should be recognized as such. Failure to recognize this behavior can lead to unnecessary and invasive testing.