Objectives: To describe two patients with tics status, propose a definition of this syndrome and draw attention to its clinical significance.
Method: Two patients suffering from Tourette's Syndrome who had developed episodes of continual motor tics that lasted from minutes to hours, were non-suppressible and intruded into normal functioning, were treated with an increase in the dose of haloperidol, in one case with the addition of clonazepam.
Results: The offset of the episodes was gradual and the tic disorder was worse after the episodes. One patient had further spontaneous episodes of tics status.
Conclusions: The recognition of tics status has implications for the management as well as our understanding of the pathobiology of tics and Tourette's Syndrome. The definition of tics status should be standardised.