Paroxysm (redirected from paroxysmal)

paroxysm

Pathol

a. a sudden attack or recurrence of a disease

b. any fit or convulsion

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paroxysm [′par·ək‚siz·əm]

(medicine)

A sudden attack, or the periodic crisis in the progress of a disease.

A spasm, convulsion, or seizure.

A burst of electrical activity during electroencephalography in the form of spikes, or spikes and waves, which indicates cerebral dysrhythmia or epileptic discharges.

(psychology)

A sudden, uncontrollable emotional outburst.

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Paroxysm 

a sudden exacerbation of a disease. Examples of symptoms that can accompany paroxysms are attacks of pain in angina pectoris, palpitation in paroxysmal tachycardia, coughing in whooping cough, fever in malaria, and hemolysis in paroxysmal hemoglobinuria. The term “paroxysm” is also used to refer to a sudden outburst of emotion, as in “paroxysm of anger” and “paroxysm of despair.”