Relief of catatonia associated with concurrent relief of sigmoid volvulus after electroconvulsive therapy.

A patient with mild learning disability and paranoid schizophrenia developed catatonia. The marked emaciation associated with catatonia resulted in intestinal obstruction secondary to sigmoid volvulus. The patient's mental and physical health continued to deteriorate despite maximal treatment with medication, and therefore, electroconvulsive therapy was initiated. Electroconvulsive therapy resulted in improvement in catatonia; this was also associated with concurrent relief of the intestinal obstruction. This report highlights volvulus of the sigmoid colon as an unusual complication of catatonia.