Successful bilateral deep brain stimulation of the globus pallidus internus for persistent status dystonicus and generalized chorea

Abstract

The authors report the cases of 2 young male patients (aged 16 and 26 years) with dystonic cerebral palsy of unknown origin, who developed status dystonicus, an acute and persistent combination of generalized dystonia and chorea. Both patients developed status dystonicus after undergoing general anesthesia, and in 1 case, after administration of metoclopramide. In attempting to control this acute hyperkinetic movement disorder, multiple medication trials failed in both cases and patients required prolonged intubation and sedation with propofol. Bilateral deep brain stimulation of the globus pallidus internus (4 and 2 months after the onset of symptoms in the first and second case, respectively) produced immediate resolution of the hyperkinetic movement disorder in each case. Deep brain stimulation provided persistent suppression of the dystonic movement potential after a follow-up of 30 and 34 months, respectively, as demonstrated by the reemergence of severe dystonia during the end of battery life of the implantable pulse generators that was readily controlled by exchange of the generators in each case.