Abnormal posturing causes
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Hilda Mahmoudi M.D., M.P.H.[2]
Overview
Decerebrate and decorticate posturing can indicate that brain herniation is occurring[1] or is about to occur. Brain herniation is an extremely dangerous condition in which parts of the brain are pushed past hard structures within the skull. In herniation syndrome, which is indicative of brain herniation, decorticate posturing occurs, and, if the condition is left untreated, develops into decerebrate posturing.[1]
Causes
Common Causes
Causes by Organ System
| Cardiovascular | No underlying causes |
| Chemical / poisoning | |
| Dermatologic | |
| Drug Side Effect | |
| Ear Nose Throat | No underlying causes |
| Endocrine | |
| Environmental | No underlying causes |
| Gastroenterologic | |
| Genetic | No underlying causes |
| Hematologic |
Cerebral hemorrhage, Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, Malaria |
| Iatrogenic | No underlying causes |
| Infectious Disease | |
| Musculoskeletal / Ortho | |
| Neurologic |
Brain abscesses, Brain herniation, Cerebral hemorrhage, Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Decerebrate posture, Decerebrate rigidity, Decerebration, Dystonia, Epidural hematoma, Focal dystonia, Opisthotonus, Pseudoathetosis, Reye’s syndrome, Traumatic brain injury |
| Nutritional / Metabolic | No underlying causes |
| Obstetric/Gynecologic | |
| Oncologic | No underlying causes |
| Opthalmologic | No underlying causes |
| Overdose / Toxicity | |
| Psychiatric | No underlying causes |
| Pulmonary | |
| Renal / Electrolyte | No underlying causes |
| Rheum / Immune / Allergy | |
| Sexual | No underlying causes |
| Trauma | |
| Urologic | No underlying causes |
| Miscellaneous | No underlying causes |
Causes in Alphabetical Order
References
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