SEVERE ANTECOLLIS DURING ANTIPSYCHOTICS TREATMENT - A REPORT OF 3 CASES

1. The authors report on three patients with severe antecollis that de veloped after chronic treatment with antipsychotics. These patients ha d been treated with neuroleptics for their delusions and hallucination s. Antecollis is a rare form of tardive dystonia that has drawn little attention. To our knowledge, there have been no reports on this disor der. 2. The patients developed the symptom after receiving a number of antipsychotics for 4 months to 14 years. Neither discontinuation of a ntipsychotics nor administration of anticholinergic agents affected th e symptom. 3. Although spontaneous improvement of dystonia was obtaine d after several months without any specific treatment in one patient, the symptom persisted for several years in another. The last patient c ould not be followed after discharge from our hospital since she and h er family did not come to the hospital. 4. Severe antecollis may cause disturbances in various functions, such as vision, speaking and swall owing. Forward bending of the neck may cause inspiratory obstruction. Severe antecollis may not be unusual and psychiatrists should be aware of this symptom in routine clinical practice.