Malignant neuroleptic syndrome induced by risperidone and facilitated by sepsis of urinary origin: clinical aspects and physiopathology.

Abstract

Risperidone is a selective monoaminergic antagonist with a high affinity for dopamine receptors that can cause neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), considered a life-threatening medical emergency. It has an incidence of up to 3% and its mortality is between 10 and 20%. The case of a 56-year-old female who met the clinical criteria of NMS, induced by the use of risperidone and facilitated by a sepsis of urinary origin, is reported. It was managed with a dopamine agonist and the change of antipsychotic, which resulted in a favorable clinical course. The NMS is a low-prevalence entity whose diagnosis has specificity and sensitivity greater than 90%, reason for which must be clearly differentiated from other pathologies. The mechanism by which urinary infection could facilitate the occurrence of this disease is discussed. Early diagnosis improves the response to an adequate management to be established in each case.