Coprolalia in younger patients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of coprolalia in younger patients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS). Coprolalia, which is the least understood and perhaps most unusual symptom of GTS, is reported to occur in 4-60% of all patients with GTS. Most reports indicate a prevalence > 30%. The widely varying prevalence figures for coprolalia may reflect cultural differences, severity of disease, and the age of the population surveyed. This study is a chart review of 112 patients seen in a pediatric neurology clinic in South Florida who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (3rd ed., revised) criteria for GTS. Only 8% of the patients in the study exhibited coprolalia. This unusually low frequency of coprolalia suggests that coprolalia may be rarer than previously believed in younger patients. It may also better reflect the frequency of coprolalia in a community-based pediatric neurology practice.