["Catatonic dilemma". Therapy with lorazepam and clozapine]

We are reporting on a patient with a schizoaffective disorder (ICD 10:F25.1), whose catatonic symptoms deteriorated while receiving high-potency neuroleptic drugs in combination with anticholinergic medication. Initially there was a "catatonic dilemma", i.e. it was not possible to differentiate between the morbigenous and pharmacogenic (malignant neuroleptic syndrome) etiology of the catatonic symptoms. Catatonic symptoms were successfully treated with a combination of lorazepam and clozapine. The severe catatonic syndrome was found to be a neuroleptic-induced deterioration of a primary morbogenous catatonic syndrome. Thus, this case also suggests that the malignant neuroleptic syndrome and neuroleptic non-responsive catatonia may not be two different disease entities but that catatonia under neuroleptic medication is caused by the interaction of individual disposition, morbigenous and pharmacogenic factors.