Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Skalski M, Campos A, Bell D, et al. Camptocormia. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 21 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-43999
Camptocormia, also known as bent spine syndrome or cyphose hystérique, is a rare syndrome characterised by involuntary flexion of the thoracolumbar spine with weight-bearing which reduces when lying down, and is due to isolated atrophy of the paraspinal muscles.
In a small case series (n=16), 2/3 patients Parkinson disease, however camptocormia is only seen in ~10% of Parkinson patients 7,10.
Associations
These conditions may be associated 9:
In just under half of patients the condition may be idiopathic 2,9
Marked thoracolumbar kyphosis, usually worse when upright (vs supine) or ambulatory. Back pain is common however a significant number of patients are asymptomatic 10.
Research suggests that - at least in Parkinson disease - the problem originates centrally in the brain, and not at the level of the muscles themselves. The condition may arise due to a dysfunction in proprioception 7.
MRI
Diffuse isolated atrophy and fatty replacement of the paraspinal muscles, with high T1 and T2 signal which suppresses on fat-saturated sequences
History and etymology
Camptocormia was first described in 1815 by Earle, and the original case descriptions of the shaking palsy in 1817 by James Parkinson (1755-1824) 8 included this phenomenon 7.
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1. Yallapa, S, Bashir, O, Sheik, M. A rare case of Camptocormia (bent spine syndrome). EuroRad teaching files. doi:10.1594/EURORAD/CASE.9543
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2. Ghosh P & Milone M. Camptocormia as Presenting Manifestation of a Spectrum of Myopathic Disorders. Muscle Nerve. 2015;52(6):1008-12. doi:10.1002/mus.24689 - Pubmed
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3. Melamed E & Djaldetti R. Camptocormia in Parkinson's Disease. J Neurol. 2006;253 Suppl 7(S7):VII14-16. doi:10.1007/s00415-006-7004-5 - Pubmed
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4. Lenoir T, Guedj N, Boulu P et-al. Camptocormia: the bent spine syndrome, an update. Eur Spine J. 2010;19 (8): 1229-37. doi:10.1007/s00586-010-1370-5 - Free text at pubmed - Pubmed citation
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5. Ponfick M, Gdynia H, Ludolph A, Kassubek J. Camptocormia in Parkinson's Disease: A Review of the Literature. Neurodegener Dis. 2011;8(5):283-8. doi:10.1159/000324372 - Pubmed
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6. Srivanitchapoom P & Hallett M. Camptocormia in Parkinson's Disease: Definition, Epidemiology, Pathogenesis and Treatment Modalities. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2016;87(1):75-85. doi:10.1136/jnnp-2014-310049 - Pubmed
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7. Schulz-Schaeffer W. Camptocormia in Parkinson's Disease: A Muscle Disease Due to Dysregulated Proprioceptive Polysynaptic Reflex Arch. Front Aging Neurosci. 2016;8:128. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2016.00128 - Pubmed
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8. Lees A, Eyre P, Brown P. The true face of James Parkinson. (2018) The Lancet. Neurology. 17 (6): 507. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(18)30174-1 - Pubmed
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9. Finsterer J, Strobl W. Causes of camptocormia. (2011) Disability and rehabilitation. 33 (17-18): 1702-3. doi:10.3109/09638288.2010.543750 - Pubmed
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10. Finsterer J, Strobl W. Presentation, etiology, diagnosis, and management of camptocormia. (2010) European neurology. 64 (1): 1-8. doi:10.1159/000314897 - Pubmed
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