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Demência com corpos de Lewy

Last reviewed: 13 Sep 2025
Last updated: 19 Aug 2025

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • presença de fatores de risco
  • flutuações
  • alucinações visuais
  • Sintomas motores
  • distúrbio comportamental do sono de movimento rápido dos olhos (REM)
Full details

Other diagnostic factors

  • grave sensibilidade ao antipsicótico
  • depressão
  • ansiedade
  • quedas repetidas e síncope
  • hipotensão ortostática
  • sintomas urinários
  • constipação
  • anormalidades da atenção e do processamento visual
  • delírios
  • Hipersonia
  • hiposmia
  • alucinações auditivas
Full details

Risk factors

  • idade avançada
  • ocorrência familiar
Full details

Diagnostic tests

1st tests to order

  • hormônio estimulante da tireoide (TSH) sérico
  • vitamina B12 sérica
  • tomografia computadorizada (TC) do crânio
  • ressonância nuclear magnética (RNM) de crânio
Full details

Tests to consider

  • Hemograma completo
  • perfil metabólico
  • folato sérico
  • teste sérico do VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory, laboratório de pesquisa de doenças venéreas)
  • exame de urina para detecção de drogas
  • urinálise
  • teste de vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV)
  • TC por emissão de fóton único (SPECT)/tomografia por emissão de pósitrons (PET)
  • EEG quantitativo
  • polissonografia
  • Análise do líquido cefalorraquidiano (LCR)
  • exame neuropsicológico
  • cintilografia miocárdica com metaiodobenzilguanidina (MIBG)
Full details

Treatment algorithm

ONGOING

todos os pacientes

Contributors

Authors

Alan J. Lerner, MD

Professor of Neurology

Department of Neurology

University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center

Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland

OH

Disclosures

AJL declares that he has no competing interests.

Mohamed I. Elkasaby, MD

Fellow in Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry

Department of Neurology

University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center

Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland

OH

Disclosures

MIE declares that he has no competing interests.

Acknowledgements

Dr Alan J. Lerner and Dr Mohamed I. Elkasaby would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Brian S. Appleby, Dr Ethan Gore, Dr Rajeet Shrestha, Dr Timothy Wuerz, Dr Julie Schneider, Dr Viola Fahmy, and Dr Sube Banerjee, previous contributors to this topic.

Disclosures

BSA, EG, RS, TW, JS, VF, and SB declare that they have no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Bryan Bernard, PhD

Assistant Professor and Clinical Neuropsychologist

Department of Neurological Sciences

Rush University Medical Center

Chicago

IL

Disclosures

BB declares that he has no competing interests.

James E. Galvin, MD, MPH

Associate Professor

Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurobiology

Director

Memory Diagnostic Center and Alzheimer Treatment Unit

Director

Education and Community Outreach

Alzheimer Disease Research Center

Washington University School of Medicine

St Louis

MO

Disclosures

JEG declares that he has no competing interests.

Ian McKeith, MBBS

Professor of Old Age Psychiatry

Clinical Director

Institute for Ageing and Health

Newcastle University

Newcastle

UK

Disclosures

IM is the author of several references cited in this topic.

Peer reviewer acknowledgements

BMJ Best Practice topics are updated on a rolling basis in line with developments in evidence and guidance. The peer reviewers listed here have reviewed the content at least once during the history of the topic.

Disclosures

Peer reviewer affiliations and disclosures pertain to the time of the review.

References

Our in-house evidence and editorial teams collaborate with international expert contributors and peer reviewers to ensure that we provide access to the most clinically relevant information possible.

Key articles

McKeith IG, Boeve BF, Dickson DW, et al. Diagnosis and management of dementia with Lewy bodies: fourth consensus report of the DLB Consortium. Neurology. 2017 Jul 4;89(1):88-100.Full text  Abstract

Expert Panel on Neurological Imaging, Soderlund KA, Austin MJ, et al. ACR appropriateness criteria® dementia: 2024 update. J Am Coll Radiol. 2025 May;22(5s):S202-33.Full text  Abstract

Taylor JP, McKeith IG, Burn DJ, et al. New evidence on the management of Lewy body dementia. Lancet Neurol. 2020 Feb;19(2):157-69.Full text  Abstract

O'Brien JT, Holmes C, Jones M, et al. Clinical practice with anti-dementia drugs: a revised (third) consensus statement from the British Association for Psychopharmacology. J Psychopharmacol. 2017 Feb;31(2):147-68. Abstract

Reus VI, Fochtmann LJ, Eyler AE, et al. The American Psychiatric Association practice guideline on the use of antipsychotics to treat agitation or psychosis in patients with dementia. Am J Psychiatry. 2016 May 1;173(5):543-6.Full text  Abstract

Reference articles

A full list of sources referenced in this topic is available to users with access to all of BMJ Best Practice.
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