TY - JOUR
T1 - A case of resolution of an acute psychotic episode after high fever
AU - Sani, Gabriele
AU - Manfredi, Giovanni
AU - Pacchiarotti, Isabella
AU - Caltagirone, Saverio Simone
AU - Mancinelli, Iginia
AU - Koukopoulos, Alexia E.
AU - Tatarelli, Caterina
AU - Kotzalidis, Giorgio D.
AU - Tatarelli, Roberto
AU - Girardi, Paolo
PY - 2007/6
Y1 - 2007/6
N2 - Fever (pyretotherapy) was used for psychosis during the turn of the 19 th century, but pyretotherapy (ie, the treatment of a disorder by inducing fever) fell out of use after the introduction of convulsive methods. Here, we report on a case of schizoaffective disorder and review classical and recent literature on fever and psychosis. The patient developed auditory hallucinations, persecutory delusional ideas, and was terrified soon upon his arrival in a foreign country. After being treated for 12 days with olanzapine and haloperidol, he developed a fever due to urinary infection; his creatine phosphokinase levels were high, prompting the suspension of antipsychotics. Psychotic symptom resolution followed immediately fever abatement. Antipsychotics were reintroduced at lower dosages. He was discharged asymptomatic with a prescription of olanzapine 15 mg/day and haloperidol 3 mg/day. The time course of symptom resolution in this patient suggests that fever had a beneficial role in this case. The associations between body temperature changes and psychotic symptoms need to be further studied.
AB - Fever (pyretotherapy) was used for psychosis during the turn of the 19 th century, but pyretotherapy (ie, the treatment of a disorder by inducing fever) fell out of use after the introduction of convulsive methods. Here, we report on a case of schizoaffective disorder and review classical and recent literature on fever and psychosis. The patient developed auditory hallucinations, persecutory delusional ideas, and was terrified soon upon his arrival in a foreign country. After being treated for 12 days with olanzapine and haloperidol, he developed a fever due to urinary infection; his creatine phosphokinase levels were high, prompting the suspension of antipsychotics. Psychotic symptom resolution followed immediately fever abatement. Antipsychotics were reintroduced at lower dosages. He was discharged asymptomatic with a prescription of olanzapine 15 mg/day and haloperidol 3 mg/day. The time course of symptom resolution in this patient suggests that fever had a beneficial role in this case. The associations between body temperature changes and psychotic symptoms need to be further studied.
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M3 - Article
C2 - 17545955
AN - SCOPUS:34447130308
VL - 12
SP - 447
EP - 450
JO - CNS Spectrums
JF - CNS Spectrums
SN - 1092-8529
IS - 6
ER -