Painful Muscle Cramps

Abstract

We found an 88% incidence of painful muscle cramps in 33 patients with cirrhosis, as compared to 21% in a matched population without liver disease. The cramps were characterized by severe pain, occurred in calf muscles several times a week (mainly at rest or during sleep), and lasted for a few minutes. No definite etiological factor could be found and the underlying pathophysiology remains obscure, as in most other types of muscle cramps. However, the strikingly high incidence and uniformity of the phenomenon may justify the inclusion of painful muscle cramps among the recognized symptoms of cirrhosis.