[Neuroleptic malignant syndrome. Problems of differential diagnosis. Description of a clinical case]

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) in its most severe form ranging from disorders of consciousness to coma is now reported relatively frequently in intensive care journals. Having observed such a case in the intensive care ward of their hospital, the Authors investigate the possibility of differential diagnosis between this syndrome and other prevalently psychiatric and non-psychiatric types. It is underlined that the diagnosis of NMS is not straightforward taking into account both the type of patients who are mainly affected, that is to say psychopathic subjects undergoing prolonged therapy with heavy tranquillisers, in poor general condition, sometimes abandoned and then found in coma, and the fact that some psychiatric syndromes or drug overdoses may led to similar symptoms but require completely different treatment.