[Treatment of Tourette syndrome and its comorbidity: experience with 17 cases].
BACKGROUND
Clinical characteristics and comorbid disorders of Tourette syndrome (TS) are reviewed along with a presentation of our experience with 17 cases.


METHODS
We carried out a retrospective study of pediatric patients with TS admitted from 1998 to 2004 in Fundación Hospital Alcorcón.


RESULTS
Seventeen patients were obtained, 16 of whom were men and there was only 1 woman. Present age ranged from 7 to 17 years old. Most frequent comorbid disorders were attention deficit disorder (ADD) in 9 patients, (53%), obsessive-compulsive disorder in 8 (48%) and anxiety in 7 (41%). Learning disorders were found in 7 patients (41%), 5 of whom have concurrent ADD and 1 severe obsessive compulsive disorder. Psychopharmacological treatment was withdrew in the 2 cases treated with halloperidol due to the presence of severe extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) and in 3 of the 7 cases treated with pimozide (one of them was withdrawn due to EPS). No EPS was found with atypical neuroleptics, but sedation and weight gain was common. Methylphenidate was administered to 7 patients without an increase in tics.


CONCLUSIONS
In our sample the most common comorbid disorders were ADD, obsessive-compulsive disorders, anxiety and learning disorders. Atypical neuroleptics were better tolerated than classic ones, although the incidence of side effects is elevated. Methylphenidate was not associated with tic worsening.
Martínez-Granero
M A
MA
Servicio de Pediatría, Fundación Hospital Alcorcón, Madrid. mamartinezg@fhalcorcon.es
Montañés Rada
F
F
García Pérez
A
A
de Lucas Taracena
M T
MT
Sánchez Romero
S
S
Rafia
S
S
Granados
A
A
Parra Cuadrado
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology
D002491:Central Nervous System Agents