title: Serotonin syndrome following levodopa treatment in diffuse Lewy body disease.
abstract: Serotonin syndrome results from an acute hyperserotonergic state. It is a rare and potentially fatal complication of drugs that affect the central nervous system serotonin levels. It is characterised by a triad of clinical features comprising altered sensorium, autonomic instability and neuromuscular hyperexcitability, in different combinations. We present an atypical case of serotonin syndrome related to levodopa use in a patient of probable Lewy body dementia. This case highlights the difficulty in diagnosis and management of cases with serotonin syndrome in the absence of history of a known serotonergic drug and the fact that levodopa can contribute to its occurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Suman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kushwaha
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Akhila Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Panda
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Hardeep Singh
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Manmeet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaur
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020230:Serotonin Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D007980:Levodopa