Neuroleptic malignant syndrome-like, or--dopaminergic malignant syndrome--due to levodopa therapy withdrawal. Clinical features in 11 patients.

A clinical picture named neuroleptic malignant-like syndrome has been described in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) who suddenly stop their L-dopa treatment. The sudden withdrawal of the drug is deemed to lead to an acute deficiency stage in a patient who has an iatrogenic increase of dopaminergic transmission. We present a series of 11 patients with PD with an average age of 72.09 years, a mean disease duration of 9.45 years who developed this problem after a 92.72 h latency period. If patients with PD develop severe rigidity, stupor and hyperthermia, L-dopa withdrawal should be suspected and the dopaminergic drug restarted as soon as possible.