Fever caused by metapramine. Diagnosis of fever caused by psychotropic drugs

Because of two hyperthermias, due to metapramine a french antidepressives of the tricyclic family, international literature concerning drug fever induced by psychotropics was reviewed. This study stresses the fact that apart from neuroleptics which are frequently involved in that type of accident, other psychotropics are very rarely responsible of hyperthermia. One hundred and five cases published since 1970 and sufficiently well documented to be analysed according to Dangoumeau's french method of imputation of side effects of drugs, were reviewed. Among these cases, one hundred (95%) corresponded to malignant syndrome of neuroleptics, 89 concerned neuroleptics alone, and 11, neuroleptics associated with other psychotropics. Regarding the different mechanisms which can explain drug fever as described by Lipsky, it seems that concerning psychotropics two types may be retained: Fever due to central dysregulation directly induced by drugs, and mainly, immunoallergic fever, the most frequently seen as described in our two cases.