Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Diplegia
Introduction
Diplegia, when used singularly, refers to paralysis affecting one part of the body and the corresponding part on the other side of the body — usually both legs. It should not be confused with paraplegia, which is a form of paralysis affecting the entire body.
Spastic diplegia is a condition of neuromuscular hypertonia primarily in the muscles of the legs, hips, and pelvis, and is a form of cerebral palsy. Correspondingly, spastic paraplegia refers to hypertonia affecting the entire body.
For example, facial diplegia occurs in 50% of patients with Guillain-Barre Syndrome.