A Catatonic Syndrome Resulting in Death*

Abstract

A patient is described who presented with post-partum catatonic schizophrenia and who later became comatose and died with hyperthermia. The differential diagnosis of catatonic stupor is notoriously difficult. The clinical picture somewhat resembled Stauder's lethal catatonia, doubtless a syndrome secondary to various encephalopathies rather than a disease sui generis. The differential diagnosis is discussed with special emphasis on herpes virus encephalitis and the rare but very important neuroleptic malignant syndrome, which is often unrecognized but for which specific treatment may be available.