Serotonin syndrome and other serotonergic disorders

Serotonin syndrome is an iatrogenic disorder induced by pharmacologic treatment with serotonergic agents that increases serotonin activity. In addition, there is a wide variety of clinical disorders associated with serotonin excess. The frequent concurrent use of serotonergic and neuroleptic drugs and similarities between serotonin syndrome and neuroleptic malignant syndrome can present the clinician with a diagnostic challenge. In this article, we review the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of serotonin syndrome as well as other serotonergic disorders.