Clinical Evolution of Tardive Cervical Dystonia from Antecollis to Retrocollis

Abstract

Tardive dystonia occurs after exposure, over months to years, to antipsychotics and other drugs that block dopaminergic receptors. Anterocollis is a rare form of cervical dystonia which is usually disabling for the patient. Here, we present the case of a 61-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s dementia diagnosed eight years ago who was previously medicated with antipsychotics. Two years before admission, she was medicated with olanzapine. She presented to the emergency room with a sustained flexion posture of the neck that was difficult to feed. She had a marked and fixed anterocollis and severe akathisia. After the administration of propofol to perform computerized tomography, the abnormal posture disappeared. Subsequently, she was started on biperiden without improvement. One week later, olanzapine was suspended, and she was progressively started on propranolol, trihexyphenidyl, and tetrabenazine. Cervical posture improved, but two weeks later, she presented with a left laterocollis, which allowed feeding, and improvement of akathisia. We present a case of tardive dystonia supported by the beginning of dystonia five months after olanzapine administration and improvement after its suspension. The coexistence of degenerative pathology is a risk factor for dystonia, which often persists despite the suspension of the causative agent. Therefore, non-pharmacological treatment and approach with antipsychotics with a better profile of extrapyramidal effects should be preferred in patients with dementia.