Lamotrigine, quetiapine and aripiprazole-induced neuroleptic malignant syndrome in a patient with renal failure caused by lithium: a case report

Serotonin syndrome and neuroleptic malignant syndrome: A case report of intersecting symptomatology

Introduction

Serotonin syndrome and neuroleptic malignant syndrome are caused by 2 distinct pathologies; however, the clinical presentation associated with both syndromes share many features.

Methods

We describe a 56-year-old male patient who presented to our facility with seizures, leukocytosis, fevers, extremity hyperreflexia, and signs of autonomic dysfunction as evidenced by cardiovascular instability. The patient was noted to be taking vortioxetine, trazodone, lamotrigine, lurasidone, and carbidopa-levodopa as outpatient medications for his depression, an unspecified mood disorder, and Parkinson disease. Following a robust workup and failure of other therapies, all serotonergic and dopaminergic medications were held, and the patient was tried on cyproheptadine for serotonin syndrome, which led to the cessation of fevers. Bromocriptine was added to the regimen, which led to the resolution of the remainder of the patient's symptoms.

Results

The overlapping symptomatology of several key diagnostic criteria for both serotonin syndrome and neuroleptic malignant syndrome as well as their nature as diagnoses of exclusion require an evaluation of the patient's aggregate improvement following targeted pharmacologic strategies for both syndromes. The efficacy of both cyproheptadine and bromocriptine when administered concomitantly support the concurrent pathologies.

Discussion

Clinicians at the bedside must be cognizant of the potential for clinically relevant drug-drug interactions that may present with overlapping pathologies.

An Unusual Cause of Persistent Tachycardia: Atypical Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a rare, life-threatening emergency caused more commonly by typical antipsychotics. However, unusual presentations of NMS are intermittently reported with the use of atypical antipsychotics. We present the case of a 42-year-old gentleman with schizoaffective and bipolar disorder who was admitted for change in mentation and lithium toxicity. His mentation did not improve despite being dialyzed and the resolution of lithium level to baseline. He developed persistent tachycardia and hyperthermia, initially attributed to Streptococcal infection. But despite appropriate antibiotic therapy, his clinical symptoms did not improve. An extensive workup for his neurological symptoms, including lumbar puncture, 5-hydroxy indole acetic acid urine test, and brain magnetic resonance imaging, was inconclusive of any underlying etiology. Given the suspicion of atypical NMS, bromocriptine 2.5 mg three times daily was initiated. This led to the gradual resolution of his symptoms and a return to his baseline mental status. Diagnosing atypical NMS can be challenging and must be differentiated from similar disorders. Lithium toxicity can predispose patients to develop NMS.

Rapid symptom control in neuroleptic malignant syndrome with electroconvulsive therapy: A case report

Introduction

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), thought to arise through dopamine antagonism, is life-threatening. While prompt diagnosis of NMS is critical, it may be obscured by other diagnoses, such as malignant catatonia, with overlapping, life-threatening symptoms. Initiation of dopamine-blocking agents such as antipsychotics and abrupt cessation of dopaminergic medications such as amantadine can precipitate NMS. Once NMS is suspected, deft medical management should ensue. Multiple case reports detail electroconvulsive therapy's (ECT's) effectiveness in the treatment of NMS. While this relationship is well-documented, there is less literature regarding comparative efficacy of ECT in the acute treatment of NMS-like states precipitated by withdrawal of dopamine agonists, such as amantadine.

Case

We present a 52-year-old female with schizoaffective disorder bipolar type, with a history of a lorazepam-resistant catatonic episode the prior year that had responded to amantadine. She presented febrile with altered mental status, lead pipe rigidity, mutism, grasp reflex, stereotypy, autonomic instability, and a Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS) of 24, suggesting malignant catatonia versus NMS. There was concern over a potentially abrupt cessation of her amantadine of which she had been prescribed for the past year.

Interventions

Organic etiologies were ruled out, and a presumptive diagnosis of NMS was made with central dopaminergic depletion from abrupt dopamine agonist (amantadine) withdrawal as the suspected underlying etiology. After intravenous lorazepam and reinduction of amantadine failed to alleviate her symptoms, urgent ECT was initiated. Our patient received an index series of ECT of seven treatments. After ECT #1 she was no longer obtunded, after treatment #2 her symptoms of mutism, rigidity, stereotypy, and agitation showed improvement, and by ECT #3, the NMS had rapidly dissipated as evidenced by stable vital signs, lack of rigidity, and coherent conversation.

Conclusion

Brisk identification of potentially life-threatening NMS and NMS-like states, including malignant catatonia, warrants a trial of ECT. ECT's theoretical mechanisms of action coincide with the theoretical pathophysiology of the conditions. It is a viable and safe treatment option for reducing mortality. With prompt initiation of ECT, we obtained rapid control of a condition with a potentially high mortality.