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Tourette's syndrome manifests as chronic persistent cough
Hüseyin Tan1, Mustafa Büyükavci, Adem Arik
1Department of Pediatric Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Ataturk University, Yakutiye Research Hospital, 25240, Erzurum, Turkey. huseyin_tan@hotmail.com
Yonsei Medical Journal
|March 9, 2004
Summary
Tourette's syndrome (TS) can cause chronic persistent cough (CPC) in children, mimicking asthma or respiratory infections. Early diagnosis and treatment of TS led to rapid symptom improvement in one twin.
Area of Science:
- Neuropsychiatry
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Genetics
Background:
- Tourette's syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder featuring involuntary motor and phonic tics.
- Phonic tics in TS can present atypically, mimicking respiratory conditions like asthma and infections.
- Chronic persistent cough (CPC) is a common pediatric complaint with diverse etiologies.
Observation:
- A case study involving twins with chronic persistent cough (CPC) is presented.
- One twin was misdiagnosed with asthma for a year, while the other received a diagnosis of recurrent respiratory tract infection.
- Neurological assessment suggested Tourette's syndrome (TS) as the underlying cause for both twins' symptoms.
Findings:
- Pharmacological treatment for Tourette's syndrome (TS) resulted in complete resolution of symptoms in the first twin within two weeks.
- The second twin was considered to be in the early stages of TS.
- This case highlights the potential for TS to manifest as CPC in pediatric patients.
Implications:
- Tourette's syndrome (TS) should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pediatric chronic persistent cough (CPC).
- Accurate diagnosis of TS can prevent prolonged misdiagnosis and ineffective treatments for respiratory symptoms.
- This underscores the importance of a comprehensive neurological evaluation for persistent pediatric cough.