Catatonia with high CSF lactate in a case of diabetes with associated conditions

A case of reversible catatonia in a well controlled insulin-dependent diabetic is described. The course of catatonia was characterized by very high CSF lactate values (serial semiautomatic determinations) during more than one month, beyond the clinical recovery. The CSF lactate elevations seem to reflect cerebral hypoxia. The uncommon coincidence of diabetes with cerebral atrophy, mental weakness, and perceptive deafness migh suggest the classification of this case of diabetes in the group 'associated with certain conditions and syndromes'.