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Kallur A, Yoo E, Bien-Aime F, Ammar H. Diagnostic Overshadowing and Pain Insensitivity in a Schizophrenic Patient With Perforated Duodenal Ulcer. Cureus 2022; 14:e21800. [PMID: 35251866 PMCID: PMC8890457 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.21800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Some patients with schizophrenia and psychotic illnesses have reduced pain perception, and others have decreased pain expression. The diagnosis of the acute abdomen can be delayed, and its outcomes can be worse in psychiatric patients than in non-psychiatric patients. We present a case of perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) in a schizophrenic woman and discuss how the phenomenon of pain insensitivity and diagnostic overshadowing-a process in which a person with mental illness receives inadequate treatment due to a misattribution of physical symptoms to their mental illness-nearly contributed to a missed diagnosis.
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Loveland P, Wong A, Vivekanandam V, Lim WK. Subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord masking motor neuron disease: a case report. J Med Case Rep 2019; 13:336. [PMID: 31735167 PMCID: PMC6859613 DOI: 10.1186/s13256-019-2256-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord is a potentially reversible myelopathy typically associated with vitamin B12 deficiency. There is predominant involvement of spinal cord posterior and lateral tracts, and manifestations include peripheral paraesthesia, impaired proprioception, gait disturbance, neuropathy and cognitive changes. Motor neuron disease (MND) is an unremittingly progressive neurodegenerative disorder involving upper and lower motor neurons with an average prognosis of 2–3 years. The diagnosis is clinical and may be supported by electromyography. A subset of MND occurs concurrently with frontotemporal dementia (FTD-MND) and may be initially misdiagnosed as a primary psychotic disorder. Case presentation We describe a 57-year-old Caucasian woman who presented with confusion and dysarthria. Low vitamin B12 levels and MRI findings led to an initial diagnosis of subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord. Despite treatment, persistent dysarthria and presence of both upper and lower motor neuron signs on clinical examination prompted further assessment. Electromyography supported the diagnosis of MND. Comorbid chronic paranoid schizophrenia complicated the diagnostic process. We discuss overlapping features between B12 deficiency and MND as well as the neuropsychiatric overlap of B12 deficiency, FTD-MND and chronic schizophrenia. Conclusions Firstly, variability in neurocognitive and imaging manifestations of B12 deficiency can limit delineation of other pathologies. Failure to improve following correction of nutritional deficiencies warrants further investigation for an alternate diagnosis. Secondly, re-evaluation of patients with comorbid mental health conditions is important in reaching timely and accurate diagnoses.
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Duval CZ, Goumon Y, Kemmel V, Kornmeier J, Dufour A, Andlauer O, Vidailhet P, Poisbeau P, Salvat E, Muller A, Mensah-Nyagan AG, Schmidt-Mutter C, Giersch A. Neurophysiological responses to unpleasant stimuli (acute electrical stimulations and emotional pictures) are increased in patients with schizophrenia. Sci Rep 2016; 6:22542. [PMID: 26935652 PMCID: PMC4776095 DOI: 10.1038/srep22542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with schizophrenia have often been described as insensitive to nociceptive signals, but objective evidence is sparse. We address this question by combining subjective behavioral and objective neurochemical and neurophysiological measures. The present study involved 21 stabilized and mildly symptomatic patients with schizophrenia and 21 control subjects. We applied electrical stimulations below the pain threshold and assessed sensations of pain and unpleasantness with rating scales, and Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (SEPs/EEG). We also measured attention, two neurochemical stress indices (ACTH/cortisol), and subjective VEPs/EEG responses to visual emotional stimuli. Our results revealed that, subjectively, patients’ evaluations do not differ from controls. However, the amplitude of EEG evoked potentials was greater in patients than controls as early as 50 ms after electrical stimulations and beyond one second after visual processing of emotional pictures. Such responses could not be linked to the stress induced by the stimulations, since stress hormone levels were stable. Nor was there a difference between patients and controls in respect of attention performance and tactile sensitivity. Taken together, all indices measured in patients in our study were either heightened or equivalent relative to healthy volunteers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Z Duval
- INSERM U-1114, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), Département de Psychiatrie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg; 1, place de l'Hôpital, 67000 Strasbourg, France.,Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France.,Fondation APICIL, 21, place Bellecour, 69002 Lyon, France
| | - Yannick Goumon
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, CNRS UPR 3212, 5, rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Véronique Kemmel
- INSERM U-1119 Biopathologie de la Myéline, Neuroprotection et Stratégies Thérapeutiques, Université de Strasbourg, Bâtiment 3 de la Faculté de Médecine, 11 rue Humann, 67000 Strasbourg, France.,Laboratoire de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, Hôpitaux Universitaire de Strasbourg, 67098 Strasbourg, France
| | - Jürgen Kornmeier
- Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, 79098 Freiburg, Germany.,University Eye-Hospital, Killianstraße 5, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - André Dufour
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Strasbourg, France
| | - Olivier Andlauer
- EA 481 Laboratoire de Neurosciences, Université de Franche-Comte, 1 place du maréchal Leclerc, 25030 Besançon Cedex, France
| | - Pierre Vidailhet
- INSERM U-1114, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), Département de Psychiatrie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg; 1, place de l'Hôpital, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Pierrick Poisbeau
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, CNRS UPR 3212, 5, rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Eric Salvat
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, CNRS UPR 3212, 5, rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France.,Centre 'Evaluation et de Traitement de la Douleur (CETD) du CHRU, Hôpital de Hautepierre, 1 av Moliere, 67078 Strasbourg, France
| | - André Muller
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, CNRS UPR 3212, 5, rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France.,Centre 'Evaluation et de Traitement de la Douleur (CETD) du CHRU, Hôpital de Hautepierre, 1 av Moliere, 67078 Strasbourg, France
| | - Ayikoé G Mensah-Nyagan
- INSERM U-1119 Biopathologie de la Myéline, Neuroprotection et Stratégies Thérapeutiques, Université de Strasbourg, Bâtiment 3 de la Faculté de Médecine, 11 rue Humann, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Anne Giersch
- INSERM U-1114, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), Département de Psychiatrie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg; 1, place de l'Hôpital, 67000 Strasbourg, France
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So R, Hirota T, Yamamoto Y, Hishimoto A, Correll CU. Lack of cardinal symptoms of meningitis in a hospitalized patient with chronic schizophrenia: lessons to be learned. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2015; 37:621.e3-4. [PMID: 26324862 DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2015.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Revised: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There are prior reports describing a diagnostic delay in medical emergencies in patients with schizophrenia. To our knowledge, this is the first case report demonstrating the risk of diagnostic delay of acute meningitis due to reduced pain perception as well as other factors related to schizophrenia and its treatment. METHOD We report a case of meningitis in a patient suffering from chronic schizophrenia and poor treatment response despite high doses of antipsychotics. Potential difficulties and pitfalls when suspecting or diagnosing meningitis as a physical comorbidity in patients with schizophrenia are discussed. RESULTS A 33-year-old man with chronic and treatment-resistant schizophrenia developed acute meningitis. The definite diagnosis was delayed because the cardinal symptoms other than fever were not clearly elicited by physical examination. The characteristic symptoms of meningitis were concealed by reduced pain perception, rigidity due to the administration of antipsychotics, disorganized thinking and potentially diminished communication with health care professionals as commonly seen in patients with schizophrenia. CONCLUSION Meningitis should not be dismissed as a possibility in patients with fever of unknown origin just because a patient with schizophrenia does not present with cardinal features of meningitis other than fever.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuhei So
- Department of Psychiatry, Okayama Psychiatric Medical Center, Okayama, Japan; 3-16 Shikatahonmachi, Kita Ward, Okayama 700-0915, Japan.
| | - Tomoya Hirota
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.
| | - Yuki Yamamoto
- Department of Infection Control & Prevention, Department of Clinical Laboratory Medecine, Kurashiki Central Hospital, Okayama, Japan.
| | - Akitoyo Hishimoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
| | - Christoph U Correll
- Division of Psychiatry Research, North Shore-LIJ Health System, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, NY, USA.
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