Treatment-Refractory Schizoaffective Disorder in a Patient with Dyke-Davidoff-Masson Syndrome

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedikt Amann ◽  
Celia García de la Iglesia ◽  
Peter McKenna ◽  
Edith Pomarol-Clotet ◽  
Marisa Sanchez-Guerra ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTDyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome, or cerebral hemiatrophy, is a pre- or perinatally acquired entity characterized by predominantly neurologic symptoms, such as seizures, facial asymmetry, contralateral hemiplegia, and mental retardation. Psychiatric symptoms are rarely reported. We report the first case of left cerebral hemiatrophy and a late onset of treatment-resistant schizoaffective disorder after a stressful life event. The patient finally responded well to clozapine. The clinical history and results from structural neuroimaging are highlighted to discuss the possible developmental bias for psychotic disorders.

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-227
Author(s):  
Mujeeb U. Shad ◽  
Lindsay Howard ◽  
Kristopher Thomas ◽  
Vimal M. Aga

Background: Schizophrenia-like presentations of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are well documented in medical literature, especially during the initial stage of the illness. We present an interesting case of middle-aged white male, who was initially misdiagnosed with major depression at age 50 and then with schizophrenia due to florid psychosis typically seen in Mild Behavioral Impairment (MBI). It was not until over 4-years that a detailed clinical history along with specific investigations confirmed the diagnosis of right temporal variant frontotemporal dementia (rtv-FTD). Methods: The unusual presentation of this case warranted 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18]fluoro- D-glucose integrated with computed tomography (FDG-PET) and comprehensive neuropsychological testing to estblish a final diagnosis. Results: The results from neuroimaging and neuropsychological testing supported a diagnosis of rtv-FTD without any evidence for Alzheimer’s dementia. Conclusion: This case illustrates that late-onset atypical psychiatric symptoms should be evaluated for neurocognitive disorders, and the evaluation should include neuroimaging. It is preferable that the neuroimaging findings be personally interpreted by the provider, who therefore needs to be skilled in interpreting neuroimaging studies.


1988 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-169
Author(s):  
H.G. Pope ◽  
B.M. Cohen ◽  
J.F. Lipinski ◽  
D. Yurgelun-Todd

SummaryWe performed a blind family interview study of 226 first-degree relatives of 63 probands meeting DSM-III criteria for schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, as diagnosed by the National Institute ot Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS). A small test-retest reliability study demonstrated good agreement between the proband interviewer and the principal family interviewer for the major diagnostic categories of psychotic disorders. Excellent compliance was obtained, with 85% of living relatives interviewed personally.Three principal findings emerged front the study. First, as expected, bipolar disorder, as defined by DSM-III, displayed a strong familial comportent, comparable to that found by many studies using criteria other than those of DSM-III. Second, patients meeting DSM-III criteria for schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder displayed a low familial prevalence of schizophrenia. Although initially suprising, this finding is in agreement with the results of several other recent lantily studies of schizophrenia. Upon comparing our results with those of other recent family studies of schizophrenia, it appears that the familial component in schizophrenia tnay be less than was estimated by earlier studies using older and “broader” definitions of schizophrenia.Third, we found that patients meeting DSM-III criteria for schizophrenia appeared genetically heterogeneous. Those who had displayed a superimposed full affective syndrome at some tinte in the course of their illness, together with those probands meeting DSM-III criteria for schizoaffective disorder, displayed a high familial prevalence of major affective disorder, similar to that found in the families of the bipolar probands. On the other hand, “pure” DSM-III schizophrenie probands, who had never experienced a superimposed full affective syndrome, displayed a low familial prevalence of major affective disorder, similar to that found in the general population. These findings favor the possibility that probands meeting DSM-III criteria for schizophrenia, but displaying a superimposed full affective syndrome, may in sonie cases have a disorder genetically relatcd to major affective disorder.Further prospective family interview studies, using DSM-III criteria and larger samples, will be necessary to test these preliminary impressions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Albani ◽  
Nicola Berlier ◽  
Francesco Pisano ◽  
Paolo Scacciatella

Abstract Background Late-onset complications of left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) device procedure are anecdotal and there are no such complications reported in literature using Cardia Ultraseal (Cardia, Inc., Eagan, MN, USA). Case summary We report the case of a 74-year-old Caucasian man affected by paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with significant bleeding risk (familiar thrombocytopenia, macroscopic haematuria episodes during therapy with direct oral anticoagulants, HAS-BLED risk score: 4) and ischaemic risk as well (CHADSVASC score: 3). The patient was treated with LAAO device implantation for high bleeding risk. Subsequently, after 26 days from LAAO procedure, he was admitted to the emergency department for haematic cardiac tamponade. The patient was successfully treated with subxyphoidal pericardiocentesis in the acute phase, unfortunately cardiac arrest occurred during the transfer to the referral hospital for urgent cardiac surgery. Permanent neurological damage was reported and the patient died on day 28. Discussion LAAO late-onset complications are very rare and the case presented is the first case described of late-onset pericardial effusion and tamponade secondary to the Cardia Ultraseal LAAO device implantation. We present a revision of the literature regarding the occurrence of similar adverse events and discuss the hypothetical mechanism of this major complication.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-358
Author(s):  
Hormazd D. Minwalla ◽  
Peter Wrzesinski ◽  
Allison Desforges ◽  
Joshua Caskey ◽  
Brittany Wagner ◽  
...  

Purpose of Review: This is a comprehensive review of the literature regarding the use of paliperidone in the treatment of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. It covers the background and presentation of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, as well as the mechanism of action and drug information for paliperidone. It covers the existing evidence of the use of paliperidone for the treatment of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Recent Findings: Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder lead to significant cognitive impairment. It is thought that dopamine dysregulation is the culprit for the positive symptoms of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Similar to other second-generation antipsychotics, paliperidone has affinity for dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors. Paliperidone was granted approval in the United States in 2006 to be used in the treatment of schizophrenia and in 2009 for schizoaffective disorder. Summary: Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder have a large impact on cognitive impairment, positive symptoms and negative symptoms. Patients with either of these mental illnesses suffer from impairments in everyday life. Paliperidone has been shown to reduce symptoms of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah C. Chapman ◽  
Katherine F. Visser ◽  
Vijay A. Mittal ◽  
Brandon E. Gibb ◽  
Meredith E. Coles ◽  
...  

AbstractEmotion regulation dysfunction is characteristic of psychotic disorders, but little is known about how the use of specific types of emotion regulation strategies differs across phases of psychotic illness. This information is vital for understanding factors contributing to psychosis vulnerability states and developing targeted treatments. Three studies were conducted to examine emotion regulation across phases of psychosis, which included (a) adolescent community members with psychotic-like experiences (PLEs; n = 262) and adolescents without PLEs (n = 1,226); (b) adolescents who met clinical high-risk criteria for a prodromal syndrome (n = 29) and healthy controls (n = 29); and (c) outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (SZ; n = 61) and healthy controls (n = 67). In each study, participants completed the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and measures of psychiatric symptoms and functional outcome. The three psychosis groups did not differ from each other in reported use of suppression; however, there was evidence for a vulnerability-related, dose-dependent decrease in reappraisal. Across each sample, a lower use of reappraisal was associated with poorer clinical outcomes. Findings indicate that emotion regulation abnormalities occur across a continuum of psychosis vulnerability and represent important targets for intervention.


2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarod L. Roland ◽  
Richard L. Price ◽  
Ashwin A. Kamath ◽  
S. Hassan Akbari ◽  
Eric C. Leuthardt ◽  
...  

The authors describe 2 cases of triventricular hydrocephalus initially presenting as aqueductal stenosis that subsequently developed tumors of the pineal and tectal region. The first case resembled late-onset idiopathic aqueductal stenosis on serial imaging. Subsequent imaging revealed a new tumor in the pineal region causing mass effect on the midbrain. The second case presented in a more typical pattern of aqueductal stenosis during infancy. On delayed follow-up imaging, an enlarging tectal mass was discovered. In both cases hydrocephalus was successfully treated by cerebrospinal fluid diversion prior to tumor presentation. The differential diagnoses, diagnostic testing, and treatment course for these unusual cases are discussed. The importance of follow-up MRI in cases of idiopathic aqueductal stenosis is emphasized by these exemplar cases.


1998 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan J. Cosoff ◽  
R. Julian Hafner

Objective: The aim of this study to determine the prevalence of anxiety disorders in publically treated psychiatric inpatients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder. Method: Using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID), 100 consecutive inpatients with a psychotic disorder were examined for the presence or absence of an anxiety disorder. Questionnaire measures of phobias, obsessive-compulsive and general anxiety symptoms were also applied. Results: The prevalences of social phobia (17%), obsessiv-ompulsive disorder (13%) and generalised anxiety disorder in schizophrenia were relatively high, as were prevalences of obsessive-compulsive (30%) and panic disorder (15%) in bipolar disorder. The proportion of subjects with an anxiety disorder (4345%) was almost identical across the three psychoses, with some evidence of gender differences. Although self-ratings of overall psychiatric symptoms were significantly elevated in those with anxiety disorders, hospital admission rates were not. Conclusions: Almost none of those with anxíeGty disorders were being treated for them, primarily because the severity of the acute psychotic illness required full diagnostic and therapeutic attention. Patients were generally discharged as soon as their psychotic episode was resolved, with little recognition of the presence of an anxiety disorder. Given that anxiety disorders are relatively responsive to treatment, greater awareness of their comorbidity with psychosis should yield worthwhile clinical benefits.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S474-S474
Author(s):  
L. Jouini ◽  
U. Ouali ◽  
R. Zaouche ◽  
R. Jomli ◽  
Y. Zgueb ◽  
...  

IntroductionPsychiatric disorders frequently occur in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) (70%). This combination further reduces the quality of life of patients as diagnosis is difficult and therapeutic opportunities are often missed.ObjectivesThe aim of this case study is to show the possible association between TLE and psychiatric semiology and its therapeutic implications.MethodsPresentation of the clinical case of Mr BH who experienced psychosis like symptoms, was finally diagnosed with TLE and put under anti-epileptic drugs.ResultsMr BH, aged 22, with no family or personal history, was admitted for aggressive behavior, self-harm, pyromania, and depression. Three years prior to onset of psychiatric symptoms, he reports episodes of pulsatile- left-temporal headache followed by hypertonic movements of the neck. Symptoms were intermittently followed by total amnesia or impaired consciousness. The patient explained symptoms by an inner presence that he called “his twin” and to whom he attributed those behaviors contrary to his will. The discovery of bilateral hippocampal atrophy in magnetic resonance imaging with a normal electroencephalography suggested the diagnosis of TLE with post-ictal psychotic disorders. Patient was put initially on diazepam and olanzapine with partial improvement. Association of valproate led to progressive but then complete disappearance of symptoms and so confirmed our diagnosis.ConclusionsIt is often difficult to attach psychiatric symptoms to epilepsy. The diagnosis should be done on a set of clinical, radiological and electrical arguments.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 163-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilberto Gerra ◽  
Matteo Manfredini ◽  
Lorenzo Somaini ◽  
Icro Maremmani ◽  
Claudio Leonardi ◽  
...  

Abstract: A variety of studies evidenced a relationship between drug use disorders and sexual dysfunction. In particular, heroin and opioid agonist medications to treat heroin dependence have been found to be associated with erectile dysfunction and reduced libido. Controversial findings also indicate the possibility of factors other than the pharmacological effects of opioid drugs concurring to sexual dysfunction. With the present study, we investigated the link between sexual dysfunction and long-term exposure to opioid receptor stimulation (heroin dependence, methadone maintenance treatment, methadone dosage), the potentially related hormonal changes reflecting hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis function and prolactin (PRL) pituitary release, the role of adverse childhood experiences in the clinical history and the concomitant symptoms of comorbid mental health disorders in contributing to sexual problems. Forty male patients participating in a long-term methadone treatment program were included in the present study and compared with 40 healthy control subjects who never used drugs nor abused alcohol. All patients and controls were submitted to the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX), Child Experiences of Care and Abuse-Questionnaire (CECA-Q) and the Symptom Check List-90 Scale. A blood sample for testosterone and PRL assays was collected. Methadone dosages were recorded among heroin-dependent patients on maintenance treatment. Methadone patients scored significantly higher than controls on the 5-item rating ASEX scale, on CECA-Q and on Symptoms Check List 90 (SCL 90) scale. Testosterone plasma levels were significantly lower and PRL levels significantly higher in methadone patients with respect to the healthy control group. ASEX scores reflecting sexual dysfunction were directly and significantly correlated with CECA-Q neglect scores and SCL 90 psychiatric symptoms total score. The linear regression model, when applied only to addicted patients, showed that methadone dosages were not significantly correlated with sexual dysfunction scores except for ‘erectile dysfunction', for which an inverse association was evidenced. Testosterone values showed a significant inverse correlation with ASEX sexual dysfunction scores, CECA-Q neglect scores and psychiatric symptom at SCL 90 among methadone patients. PRL levels were directly and significantly correlated with sexual dysfunction scores, psychiatric symptoms at SCL 90 and CECA-Q neglect scores. Both testosterone and PRL did not correlate with methadone dosages. The present findings appear to support the view of childhood adversities and comorbid psychiatric symptoms contributing to sexual dysfunction and related hormonal changes among methadone patients, challenging the assumption that attributes sexual problems entirely to the direct pharmacological effects of opioid agonist medications.


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