Citation

Benabarre A, Giralt M, Bosch X, Plana MT, Vieta E, Cirera E, Valdes M. Rev. Psiquiatr. Facul. Med. Barc. 2004; 31(3): 151-153.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, Rocas)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Although psychiatric manifestations are occasionally seen in patients with phaeochromocytoma, these are usually limited to anxiety states. Extremely uncommon psychiatric features include depression, suicidal attempts and delusional states. We describe here a patient who presented with paranoid psychosis as the only manifestation of phaeochromocytoma long before it was diagnosed on the basis of typical clinical features. The patients psychosis, which was treated with antipsychotic drugs during two years, resolved upon removal of the tumour. We speculate that catecholamines were responsible for the psychotic state of this patient and propose that phaeochromocytoma could be a natural example to explain the catecholaminergic pathophysiology involved in some psychotic disorders.

Language: es

Keywords

adult; human; male; Pathophysiology; case report; depression; anxiety; suicide attempt; Psychotic disorders; article; clinical feature; pathophysiology; disease course; delusion; paranoid psychosis; catecholamine; catecholaminergic system; Paranoid psychosis; Phaeochromocytoma; pheochromocytoma