Dyskinesia in the elderly presenting as respiratory disorder.

Two elderly women suffering from dyskinesia affecting the respiratory muscles are described. The diagnosis was initially missed in both cases, and thought to be anxiety syndrome in one patient, and chronic obstructive airways disease in the other. Drug therapy further increased the severity of the dyskinetic movements which greatly improved when it was discontinued. Dyskinesia should be considered as the cause of respiratory disorder in old age, especially when this develops slowly in patients with movement disorders and a history of taking antidopaminergic drugs.