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Abstract Details

Fatal Neurologic Complication of Schizophrenia and Psychogenic Polydipsia: A Case Report
Aging, Dementia, and Behavioral Neurology
P15 - Poster Session 15 (12:00 PM-1:00 PM)
10-001

Report a rare fatal neurologic complication of schizophrenia and psychogenic polydipsia.

Psychiatric comorbidities commonly coincide with neurologic conditions. Compulsive water drinking, known as psychogenic polydipsia, frequently occurs in patients with schizophrenia and can result in multiple endocrine, cardiac, and neurologic complications. These complications can progress to severe neurologic outcomes such as coma, seizures, or very rarely, death. 
Case report and review of literature.

Our patient was a 30-year-old woman with a history of schizophrenia and major depressive disorder who presented with worsening depression symptoms and a profoundly higher water intake over the previous 48 hours. She was found down by family at home, agonally breathing, was subsequently intubated and transferred to our facility. She arrived with absent brainstem reflexes, not breathing independently of the ventilator, hypothermic, hypotensive, bradycardic, and without motor responses. The patient was initially hyponatremic to 116mEq/L with a measured and calculated serum osmolality of 251 and 245 mOsm/k respectively, with undetectable urine sodium. CT head displayed diffuse cerebral edema, absent cisterns, and significant brain herniation. Overall, concerning for brain death secondary to hypernatremia and cerebral edema. She was started on mannitol and targeted temperature management was maintained for 24 hours post arrival after correction of underlying metabolic derangements. Drug screen was negative, and toxicology was consulted without discovery of any coinciding agent. An EEG and nuclear medicine blood flow study was completed prior to brain death examination which confirmed the presumed initial presentation.

Cerebral edema is a known complication of severe hyponatremia. However, most neurologic complications of hyponatremia related to psychogenic polydipsia are not acute in onset and consist primarily of coma, lethargy, and seizures. However, this case presents a rare and fatal neurologic result of acute cerebral edema and herniation resulting in brain death. 
Authors/Disclosures
Erin R. Fiedler, DO (Baylor Scott & White Neurology)
PRESENTER
Dr. Fiedler has nothing to disclose.