[Acute dopamine deficiency and malignant neuroleptic-like syndrome]

A 60-year-old woman, under treatment for parkinsonism with dopicar, was hospitalized in a stuporous catatonic state. After several days, while dopicar was being tapered off, she developed a clinical picture similar to malignant neuroleptic-like syndrome, including continuous high fever, elevated blood pressure and increased perspiration, and the parkinsonian symptoms became more severe. Neuroleptic medication was not used, but renewal of dopicar treatment relieved this typical syndrome. It is suggested that a relative deficiency of dopamine is involved in the pathogenesis of malignant neuroleptic-like syndromes.