[Psycological aspects of the alopecia]

Hair plays a primordial role both in relational life for the subject himself: natural ornament, privileged belonging of narcissism, and also a symbol of power and virility in man, of seduction and femininity in woman. The loss of hair "alopecia" is a real catastrophe: deep narcissism injury, feeling of uncovering. The first patient, aged 22, has shown an alopecia owing to stress which came with the father's disease. Dermatologic results were negative, psychiatric exam showed. The second patient, aged 14, was sent to us to dermatology service for alopecia of brutal appearance with no triggering factor, etiological results were negative. Psychiatric interview pointed out traits of a hysterical personality. Though alopecia aetiology is of various factors, psychological ones would be determining. In the first case the stress was acute, when as it was chronic in the second. Secondary benefit might could to maintain the disorder, than is a situation in the second case. The first case illustrates a decomposition of psychosomatique personality

[Female drug abuse in a university setting]

Morocco is a country with Muslim-Arab tradition. In this sociocultural context, drug abuse in women is very taboo. We tried to approach the subject of drug use in women in a cross-sectional study of a sample of 1208 students [744 women and 464 men] who completed an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. We found 6.59% of women and 36.2% of men used drugs. Using DSM IV criteria, drug dependence was found in 2% of the subsample of female drug users and drug abuse in 1.5%. Place of residence and level of income were statistically significant risk factors for drug use

[Shared psychotic disorder] "Folie a deux"

The so called " folie a deux" recently known according to DSM IV as shared psychotic disorder, is a rare and peculiar pathology of psychosis. Shared psychotic disorder is characterized by placing of delirium system in the subject, consecutive to a tight relationship with an inductor. We report a case of "folie a deux ". The primary delirious patient was a son who induced his delirium to his mother. The mother and son maintained a fusing relationship, clinically both of them said the same delirious talks about persecutions and bewitchment. The son's case was diagnosed as a brief psychotic disorder. Therapeutic attitude consisted of hospitalizing both patients in two separated departments. The mother underwent an anxiolytic treatment with a rapid symptomatic resolution. The son benefited from a neuroleptic treatment. Our clinical case illustrates the diagnosis of shared psychotic disorder depending on the diagnostic criteria of DSM IV. Many interesting points were raised, among them is the importance of the son's mother interaction, the determining cultural factors in elaboration of delirious content and delirium function in the mother. On the therapeutic level we proceeded to separate the two patients. Our clinical illustration aroused also reflection on the relation between the therapist and the delirious psychotic patient

Manifestations neuropsychiatriques du lupus erythemateux systemique

In order to illustrate the importance of the neuropsychiatric manifestations of disseminated lupus erythematosus we described a case of a young female patient aged-18 year, who has not any personal or familial history of psychiatric antecedents. She presented first by suicidal attempts and behavior troubles. After 4 years she had a grand mal epileptical fit which obliged her for an urgent psychiatric consultation, from where she was referred to the neurology department. Later on during her routine psychiatric consultation we noticed appearance of a cutaneous butterfly wings shape lesion in her face, that oriented us to diagnosis of disseminated lupus erythematosus. In our observation, we concluded that, the neuropsychiatric manifestations seem to be inaugural to lupus disease itself, and these signs may precede the appearance of systemic lupus erythematosus for several years, making the precise diagnosis difficult, which endanger the patient's vitality. The multidisciplinary handling of such patients remains very important