Catatonia due to systemic lupus erythematosus

Objectives Discuss neuropsychiatric aspects and differential diagnosis of catatonic syndrome secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a pediatric patient. Methods Single case report. Result A 13-year-old male, after two months diagnosed with SLE, started to present psychotic symptoms (behavioral changes, hallucinations and delusions) that evolved into intense catatonia. During hospitalization, neuroimaging, biochemical and serological tests for differential diagnosis with metabolic encephalopathy, neurological tumors and neuroinfections, among other tests, were performed. The possibility of neuroleptic malignant syndrome, steroid-induced psychosis and catatonia was also evaluated. A complete reversal of catatonia was achieved after using benzodiazepines in high doses, associated with immunosuppressive therapy for lupus, which speaks in favor of catatonia secondary to autoimmune encephalitis due to lupus. Conclusion Although catatonia rarely is the initial clinical presentation of SLE, the delay in recognizing the syndrome can be risky, having a negative impact on prognosis. Benzodiazepines have an important role in the catatonia resolution, especially when associated with parallel specific organic base cause treatment. The use of neuroleptics should be avoided for the duration of the catatonic syndrome as it may cause clinical deterioration.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Rabello,Francisco de Assis Pinto Cabral Júnior, Luz,Daniel Calich, Figueiredo,Evânia Claudino Queiroga de, Gaudêncio,Edmundo de Oliveira, Coutinho,Larissa Cristina Queiroga Mendonça, Azevedo,Waldeneide Fernandes de
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Instituto de Psiquiatria da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro 2014
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0047-20852014000200177
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