Bromocriptine-responsive akinetic mutism following endoscopy for ventricular neurocysticercosis. Case report and review of the literature.
A 26-year-old woman with obstructive hydrocephalus caused by a cysticercal cyst blocking the left foramen of Monro was initially treated with an external ventriculostomy and subsequent endoscopically assisted cyst resection and septostomy. Postoperatively, the patient developed the clinical syndrome of akinetic mutism, but her condition improved after the administration of the dopaminergic agonist bromocriptine. This result indicates that a disruption in the ascending dopaminergic pathway involved in behavior formation was likely the cause of these neurological symptoms.
Psarros
Thomas
T
Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas, Southwestern School of Medicine, Dallas, Texas 75390-8855, USA. tompsarros@aol.com
Zouros
Alexander
A
Coimbra
Caetano
C
D000328:Adult; D000405:Akinetic Mutism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D001971:Bromocriptine