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Catatonia in systemic lupus erythematosus: case based review

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Abstract

Catatonia is a rare psychomotor syndrome characterized by stupor, posturing and echophenomena. It can be associated with schizophrenia, infections, drugs and autoimmune causes like anti N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor encephalitis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here we report two cases of systemic lupus erythematosus with catatonia, who improved with immunosuppressive treatment and review the cases described in the literature. The first case presented with fever, pancytopenia, toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN)-like rash and later developed catatonia and macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). The second case presented with acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (ACLE), fever, alopecia, polyarthralgias, nephritis, cytopenias along with catatonia. Successful management of this syndrome requires prompt recognition and treatment with immunosuppression as well as benzodiazepines with or without electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

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Author notes

  1. Hafis Muhammed

    Present address: Department of Medicine, Government medical college, Kozikhode, India

  2. Ramnath Misra

    Present address: Department of Rheumatology, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneshwar, India

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India

    T. G. Sundaram, Hafis Muhammed, Latika Gupta, Able Lawrence, Ramnath Misra & Amita Aggarwal

  2. Government Medical College, Calicut, India

    Hafis Muhammed

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  1. T. G. Sundaram
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Correspondence to Amita Aggarwal.

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Sundaram, T.G., Muhammed, H., Gupta, L. et al. Catatonia in systemic lupus erythematosus: case based review. Rheumatol Int 42, 1461–1476 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-021-05006-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-021-05006-y

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