Catatonia is a severe motor dysregulation syndrome observed in both psychiatric and medical conditions, with potentially fatal outcomes if untreated. This report presents three adolescent cases diagnosed with catatonia, each associated with distinct psychiatric pathologies. Despite varying symptoms, including negativism, mutism, echolalia, and rigidity, all cases responded to benzodiazepine treatment, with one requiring electroconvulsive therapy due to malignant catatonia. This brief review discusses the diagnostic challenges, treatment approaches, and importance of early intervention in catatonia. The comparison of symptoms across cases highlights the role of differential diagnosis in optimizing treatment outcomes for pediatric catatonia.
Öksüzoğlu et al. (Wed,) studied this question.