Neuroleptic malignant syndrome caused by dopamine-depleting drugs in a patient with Huntington disease.
Prior reports of neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) concerned patients with psychiatric disorders, usually schizophrenia, who were taking dopamine receptor blocking agents. We report the syndrome in a patient with Huntington disease who was treated with dopamine-depleting agents. He had a negative evaluation for malignant hyperthermia (MH), and we suggest that NMS differs from MH. The occurrence of NMS caused by dopamine-depleting agents suggests that anticholinergic properties of phenotiazines are not the only cause. Central dopaminergic systems probably participate in thermoregulation, and dopamine depletion probably plays a pathogenetic role in this syndrome.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D004421:Dystonia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008305:Malignant Hyperthermia / Q000175:diagnosis; D008781:Methyltyrosines; D013577:Syndrome; D013747:Tetrabenazine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019805:alpha-Methyltyrosine
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D008781:Methyltyrosines; D019805:alpha-Methyltyrosine; D004298:Dopamine; D013747:Tetrabenazine