Prednisolon-induced exacerbation of tics

Tics-disorders are hyperkinetic movement disorders which manifest in childh ood or early adolescence and ameliorate in later adulthood. We report on tw o patients with a basically subclinical tic-disorder (age of 53 and 68 year s). During the therapy of polymyalgia rheumatica and endocrine orbitopathy in Graves disease with prednisolone the tics exacerbated and were therefore diagnosed and treated for the first time. Possible causes for the exacerba tion of the tics during the therapy with glucocorticosteroids are discussed in the context of the dopamine hypothesis of tics.