RESUMO
Abstract Mixed features personality disorders (PDs) are highly prevalent and associated with significant burden of disease. Despite that, it has been an overlooked diagnostic category with respect to clinical research. This study aims to review empirical evidence about psychotherapy delivery available for these patients. We present a systematic review of clinical trials investigating the outcomes of psychotherapeutic interventions in adults with a primary diagnosis of mixed features PDs. Data were obtained from Medline/PubMed, Embase and PsycINFO. Seven studies met inclusion criteria; in one of them the whole sample was of this diagnostic group; two studies analysed psychotherapeutic intervention outcomes in this population, among other types of PDs, yet drawing specific conclusions on mixed features PDs patients; remaining studies addressed patient samples with different PDs types, mixed features included, where specific findings in this group of patients were not described - nonetheless, they included representative numbers of subjects with the diagnosis of interest. Available studies suggest that mixed features personality pathology per se does not seem to be an impediment to benefit from psychotherapeutic treatment, and improvement in different areas of life is possible for patients undergoing psychotherapy. The extant literature is marked by multiple challenges and inconsistencies across studies.
RESUMO
Abstract Background Metastatic tumours sometimes present with neuropsychiatric symptoms, however psychiatric symptoms as rarely the first clinical manifestation. Cutaneous melanoma is the third most common cause of brain metastasis, with known risk factors increasing the chance of such central nervous system metastization. Objectives We present a clinical report of delirium as the first clinical manifestation of melanoma brain metastases, illustrating the relevance of an adequate and early differential diagnosis. Methods In addition to describing the clinical case, searches were undertaken in PubMed and other databases using keywords such as “brain metastasis”, “melanoma”, “agitation”, “psychiatric” and “delirium”. Results We here report the case of a 52-year-old female patient evaluated by Liaison Psychiatry after sudden onset of delirium while admitted at the Gastroenterology Department to study a hypothesis of pancreatitis. A head CT scan identified brain metastases, and after further examination, including brain biopsy, melanoma brain metastization was confirmed. Discussion Some of the diagnostic challenges of psychiatric symptoms associated with secondary brain tumours are discussed, underlining the importance of an adequate differential diagnosis when working in Psychiatry Liaison.
RESUMO
A psicose puerperal (PP) é um quadro clínico exuberante, com uma frequência estimada de 1 caso por cada 1.000 puerpérios, e que tem sido associado com maior consistência ao espectro bipolar. A evidência científica disponível é escassa, nomeadamente no respeitante à orientação terapêutica. Os autores apresentam o caso clínico de uma mulher primípara de 28 anos, sem antecedentes psiquiátricos, que iniciou nas primeiras semanas de puerpério um quadro psicótico florido, composto por agitação psicomotora, confusão, desorganização do pensamento e comportamento, sintomatologia psicótica e insônia grave. Por ausência de resposta ao tratamento farmacológico, houve recurso à eletroconvulsoterapia (ECT), com melhoria clínica rápida e evidente. Nesse contexto, os autores realizaram uma apreciação da literatura e evidência referentes ao uso de ECT na psicose puerperal.
Puerperal psychosis (PP) is an exuberant clinical syndrome with an estimated frequency of 1 case per 1,000 childbirths that has been most consistently associated with the bipolar disorders spectrum. Available evidence is scarce, namely regarding management and treatment. The authors present the clinical case of a 28 year-old first-time mother, with no psychiatric history, who developed a florid psychotic syndrome in the first weeks of puerperium. Due to lack of improvement following pharmacological treatment, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was applied, with substantial and quick response. In this context, the authors reviewed current literature on the use of ECT for the treatment of puerperal psychosis.