Clustered lipid droplets in the endomyocardial biopsies from a patient with neuroleptic malignant syndrome.

ABSTRACT

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome is caused by serious adverse effects of antipsychotic agents and occurs only rarely. Endomyocardial biopsies documented unique clustered lipid droplets in a Japanese man with this disease. After administration of haloperidol, he had symptoms of high fever, respiratory dysfunction, and cardiogenic shock, and subsequently suffered from multiple organ failure. Fortunately, he was completely cured with intensive therapy. In the convulsant stage, left ventricular endomyocardial biopsies were performed that yielded the interesting discovery of unique clustered lipid droplets among the myofibrils. It was suggested that although the pathomechanism of neuroleptic malignant syndrome is unknown, this disease may be characterized by a lipid metabolic disorder of the cardiac muscle cell.