An 8-year-old female with Tourette Disorder (TD) was treated with a daily oral dosage of 5 mg of aripiprazole, which did not significantly improve her symptoms. After treatment with 10 mg daily for 3 days, she experienced an acute episode of dystonia with facial muscle spasms, opisthotonus, and torticolis. All symptoms resolved after ingestion of a total of 2 mg of benztropine over 2 days. Previously, aripiprazole was considered to cause few anticholinrgic, antiadrenaline, or antihistamine effects or extrapyramidal symptoms. However, extrapyramidal symptoms have now been reported in patients with TD and in adolescent patients with other psychiatric disorders. We reviewed the literature, and to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a child TD patient with acute dystonia. Although the recommended treatment largely precludes acute dystonic reaction, aripiprazole has produced this reaction.
Adolescent ; Benztropine ; Child ; Dystonia ; Eating ; Facial Muscles ; Female ; Humans ; Piperazines ; Quinolones ; Spasm ; Tic Disorders ; Tics ; Tourette Syndrome ; Aripiprazole