Therapy of syndrome malin.

Syndrome malin refers to neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), a combination of extrapyramidal symptoms, hyperthermia, autonomic dysfunction, hypertension, and coma, which has been reported primarily with haloperidol administration, but also with fluphenazine, thiothixene, and thioridazine. NMS is much more severe than typical extrapyramidal reactions to neuroleptic agents and can result in fatality. The syndrome is not dose related and can begin within hours of initiation of therapy or after months of treatment. Treatment of NMS has been mainly supportive in the past. Recent reports have suggested benefits from the use of bromocriptine and amantadine (dopaminergic agonists), based on a possible etiology of neuroleptic-induced dopaminergic blockade. Dantrolene also has been utilized successfully in NMS on the hypothesis that the syndrome is similar to anesthetic-induced malignant hyperthermia. These agents provide a more specific treatment for this potentially lethal syndrome.