Hoigne's syndrome. Case report and review of the literature

Hoigne's syndrome is currently considered a pseudoanaphylactic or pseudoall ergic reaction following intramuscular and aqueous procaine penicillin admi nistration. This disorder is characterized predominantly by neuropsychiatri c alterations including severe psychomotor agitation with confusion, sensat ions of disintegration, depersonalization, and derealization, perceived cha nges of body shape, visual and auditory hallucinations, panic-like anxiety including fear of death as well as alterations of consciousness and seizure s. Beside the "classic" immediate manifestation of Hoigne's syndrome, sub-a cute forms as well as reactions of the so-called latent type are also known . Including a typical case report, we present a review of the currently ava ilable literature concerning clinical picture, hypotheses on origin,and pos sible therapy regimens of this underdiagnosed complication of antibiotic pe nicillin treatment.