Síndrome de persona rígida confundido por trastorno conversivo: un error común. caso clínico / Stiff-person syndrome mistaken for conversive disorder: a common error

Stiff-person syndrome is characterized by persistent muscle spasms, involving agonist and antagonist muscles simultaneously, starting in the lower limbs and trunk. It tends to occur in the fourth to sixth decade of life, presenting with intermittent spasms that later become continuous and usually painful. Minor sensory stimuli, such as noise or light touch, precipitate severe spasms. Spasms do not occur during sleep and only rarely involve cranial muscles. We present a case that for two years was diagnosed and treated as a conversion disorder associated with depression. After two years she was admitted to another hospital with an unmistakable picture of stiff-person syndrome with hypertrophy and rigidity of lower limb muscles, compatible electrophysiology and positive anti-GAD antibodies. She had autoimmune hypothyroidism, that should have raised the suspicion of stiff-person syndrome earlier. She responded to intravenous immunoglobulin and mycophenolate mofetil and and to tranquilizers that have muscle relaxant properties.

A psychotic experience during adolescence: reasoning about differential diagnosis. case report

ABSTRACT CONTEXT: The aim of the present clinical review was to illustrate the diagnostic difficulty associated with psychotic experiences during adolescence, in the light of the multiplicity of circumstances interplaying during this period. It was also intended to illustrate the observation that not all hallucinations occur in the context of a declared psychotic disorder. Case Report: The patient was a 16-year-old adolescent girl who came to the Emergency Department of Coimbra Pediatric Hospital. On admission, she displayed mood and sensory perception disorders, with a bizarre gait abnormality. A diagnosis of conversion disorder was finally suggested, in accordance with the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition. CONCLUSIONS: Conversive hallucinations are rare in the psychiatric literature. This diagnostic hypothesis only gained consistency over a long period of follow-up within a child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient service, which was fundamental for appropriate diagnostic clarification. The authors discuss psychotic experiences that can arise from a neurotic setting and share the reasoning that was constructed in relation to the differential diagnosis. The psychogenesis and phenomenology of this young patient's conversive hallucinations and the therapeutic strategies adopted over the course of the follow-up are also discussed.

La histeria moderna: Parte IV: evolución de criterios diagnósticos del trastorno por somatización / The modern hysteria: Part III dissociative disorders and conversion

La conciencia: característica esencial de esta dimensión de autorepresentación es la interpretación de ciertos estados internos del propio cuerpo como identidad mental y somática. La neurociencia de la conciencia sugiere fuertemente que un nivel de sincronización y unión entre varias partes del cerebro hasta cierto punto refleja la accesibilidad de varios contenidos mentales. Janet (1889) propuso el término désagrégation para referirse a los fenómenos de «no integración¼ y lo situó en el terreno de la anormalidad. Trastornos disociativos: en estos trastornos hay pérdida parcial o completa de la integración normal entre ciertos recuerdos del pasado, la conciencia de la propia identidad, ciertas sensaciones inmediatas y el control de los movimientos corporales (conversión)

The conscience: essential feature of this dimension of self-representation is the interpretation of certain internal states of the body itself as mental and somatic identity. The neuroscience of consciousness strongly suggests that a level of synchronization and union between various parts of the brain to some extent reflects the accessibility of various mental contents. Janet (1889) proposed the term désagrégation to refer to the phenomena of "non integration" and placed it in the terrain of abnormality. Dissociative disorders: in these disorders there is partial or complete loss of normal integration between certain memories of the past, awareness of one's own identity, certain immediate sensations and control of bodily movements (conversion)

La histeria clásica y moderna: una visión sinóptica Parte II Diagnóstico / Classic and modern hysteria: a synoptic view. Part II Diagnosis

Todo diagnóstico de un problema descubierto lleva implícito un proceso de análisis y síntesis. Todavía no se ha logrado encontrar una clara definición de la histeria, precisamente por su "psicoplasticidad", es decir, por la infinidad de expresiones clínicas en que se puede presentar. Además su eliminación de los códigos diagnósticos la fragmentó en diversos síndromes o conjuntos sintomáticos. El psicoanálisis, asociado al concepto, fue desperfilado por la psiquiatría americana con el advenimiento de la investigación biológica sobre trastornos mentales y nuevos descubrimientos como los sistemas de neurotransmisores. Quedaron atrás los criterios de Feighner, que abarcaban los diagnósticos de neurosis de ansiedad, neurosis obsesivo-compulsiva, neurosis fóbica, histeria. Se analiza clasificaciones CIE y DSM, en las que se puede rastrear la histeria. Palabras claves: histeria, neurosis, diagnóstico, CIE-10.

Every diagnosis of a discovered problem implies a process of analysis and synthesis. A clear definition of hysteria has not yet been found, precisely because of its "psychoplasticity", that is, by the infinity of clinical expressions in which it can be presented. In addition its elimination of the diagnostic codes fragmented it in diverse syndromes or symptomatic sets. Psychoanalysis, associated with the concept, was unburied by American psychiatry with the advent of biological research on mental disorders and new discoveries such as neurotransmitter systems. Feighner's criteria, which included diagnoses of anxiety neurosis, obsessive-compulsive neurosis, phobic neurosis and hysteria, were left behind. We analyze CIE and DSM classifications, in which hysteria can be traced.

Estridor y dificultad respiratoria: aproximación neurológica: caso clínico / Stridor and dyspnea caused by a conversion disorder: a case report

Paradoxical vocal cord motion or vocal cord dysfunction is a descriptive term for an inappropriate adduction of the vocal cords during respiration, which can cause respiratory obstruction and stridor. It is associated with psychiatric conditions in the great majority of cases. We report a 23 year-old high performance female athlete, referred for a recurrent bilateral paralysis of the vocal cords, with a history of four intensive care unit admissions for severe dyspnea and stridor, which were treated several times with intubation and with tracheostomy on two occasions. Myasthenia gravis was suspected and she was treated with pyridostigmine and prednisone. She was discharged but despite the treatment, she presented new episodes of stridor and was readmitted six months later. This time the pharmacological treatment was suspended. The neurological study disclosed a normal brain magnetic resonance, normal cerebrospinal fluid analysis and a normal electromyography. A conversion disorder was suspected and the patient was successfully treated with psychotherapy.

Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures and psychoanalytical treatment: results / Crises não epilépticas psicogênicas e tratamento psicanalítico: resultados.

Background: the occurrence of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) is estimated to be between 2 to 33 cases in every 100,000 inhabitants. The number of patients with PNES reaches 19% of those treated as epileptics. Patients with PNES are treated as if they had intractable epilepsy, with unsatisfactory results even after medication treatment is used to its maximum. The aim of this study is to present the effects of individual psychoanalytical treatment in patients with PNES, assessing its impact in the evolution of the clinical picture and its association with sex, time of disease, social, psychological and professional harm, as well as going through with treatment. Methods: The case base was composed of 37 patients with PNES. The diagnosis was reached with video-EEG monitoring. Psychoanalytical treatment was carried out through 12 months of weekly sessions timed for around 50-minutes each, in a total of 48 individual sessions. Results: This study found a high rate of success in the treatment of PNES patients. 29.7% (n=11) of patients had cessation or cure of symptoms and 51.4% (n=19) had a decrease in the number of episodes. There is an association between cessation or decrease in the number of episodes and sex (p<0.01), religion (p<0.01) and concluding treatment (p<0.01). Conclusion: Individual psychoanalytical treatment applied to patients with PNES is considered effective and can be an essential form of assistance for the reduction or cessation of episodes. .

Introdução: estima-se que o número de casos de pacientes com crises não epilépticas psicogênicas (CNEP) seja de 2 a 33 por 100 mil habitantes. O índice de CNEP corresponde ainda a, aproximadamente, 19% dos pacientes tratados como epilépticos. Os pacientes com CNEP são tratados como portadores de epilepsia refratária, chegando ao limite máximo do tratamento medicamentoso e sem a obtenção de resultados satisfatórios. Objetivo: relatar os efeitos do tratamento psicanalítico individual em pacientes com CNEP de forma a avaliar a evolução do quadro clínico de CNEP e verificar sua associação com gênero, tempo de crise, prejuízos sociais, afetivos e profissionais, bem como término do tratamento. Métodos: a casuística foi composta por 37 pacientes com diagnóstico de CNEP feito por meio da monitoração por vídeo-EEG. Foram realizadas sessões de tratamento psicanalítico: atendimento clínico individual com frequência semanal, com duração aproximada de 50 minutos e duração total de 48 sessões em 12 meses. Resultados: este estudo constatou elevado índice de sucesso no tratamento dos pacientes com CNEP: 29,7% (n = 11) de cessação/cura dos sintomas e 51,4% (n = 19) de redução das crises convulsivas. Foi constatada associação entre cessar ou reduzir as crises e gênero (p<0,01), religião (p<0,01) e término do tratamento (p<0,01). Conclusão: este estudo apontou eficácia do tratamento psicanalítico individual realizado com pacientes com CNEP, podendo ser considerada uma forma de assistência essencial para que haja decréscimo ou cessação das crises. .

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures and psychogenic movement disorders: two sides of the same coin? / Crises não-epilépticas psicogênicas e distúrbios do movimento psicogênicos: dois lados da mesma moeda?

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) and psychogenic movement disorders (PMD) are commonly seen in Neurology practice and are categorized in the DSM-5 as functional neurological disorders/conversion disorders. This review encompasses historical and epidemiological data, clinical aspects, diagnostic criteria, treatment and prognosis of these rather challenging and often neglected patients. As a group they have puzzled generations of neurologists and psychiatrists and in some ways continue to do so, perhaps embodying and justifying the ultimate and necessary link between these specialties.

Crises não-epilépticas psicogênicas (CNEP) e distúrbios do movimento psicogênicos (DMP) são comuns na prática e na atualidade são melhor categorizados no DSM-V como distúrbios neurológicos funcionais/desordens de conversão. Esta revisão enfatiza os principais dados históricos, epidemiológicos, clínicos, critérios diagnósticos, tratamento e o prognóstico destes pacientes, frequentemente negligenciados e desafiadores, os quais, como um grupo, tem intrigado gerações de neurologistas e psiquiatras, caracterizando, de forma justificada o elo definitivo entre estas especialidades.

Conversive gait disorder: you cannot miss this diagnosis / Distúrbio conversivo da marcha: você não pode deixar de fazer esse diagnóstico

Bizarre, purposeless movements and inconsistent findings are typical of conversive gaits. The objective of the present paper is to review some phenomenological aspects of twenty-five consecutive conversive gait disorder patients. Some variants are typical – knees give way-and-recover presentation, monoparetic, tremulous, and slow motion – allowing clinical diagnosis with high precision.

Movimentos bizarros, sem finalidade e inconsistentes são típicos das marchas conversivas. O objetivo deste artigo é descrever os aspectos fenomenológicos de vinte e cinco pacientes com distúrbio conversivo da marcha, salientando que algumas variantes são tão típicas – dobrando os joelhos e recuperando, monoparética, trêmula e em câmara lenta – que praticamente não possuem diagnóstico diferencial.

Clinical profile of pediatric somatoform disorders.

OBJECTIVES: To study the prevalence, pattern, clinical and socio-demographic characteristics of somatoform disorders in children. METHODS: From Aug 2004 to July 2005, children up to 18 years with unexplained physical symptoms were evaluated prospectively using DSM-IV criteria. Detailed evaluation followed for those meeting criteria. RESULTS: The prevalence of Somatoform disorders was 0.59% and 0.78% among out-door and in-door patients respectively. Among 124 children (40 boys and 84 girls) meeting criteria, conversion disorder was the commonest (57.3%), followed by undifferentiated somatoform disorder (25.2%). Girls were significantly more represented among conversion disorder patients compared to other groups of somatoform disorders (78.9 vs. 52.8 %, P=0.002). In conversion disorder, 2/3rd patients presented within 3 months, whereas in other somatoform disorders, 2/3rd patients presented within 3 months after symptoms. Fainting attacks (52.1%) and ataxia (43.7%) in conversion disorder and pain abdomen (52.8%) and headache (52.8%) in other somatoform disorders, were the commonest symptoms. Stressors were identified in 73.4% and acute precipitating stressors were present in 14.4% children. Boys had significantly higher rates of poor inter-personal relations and communication problems within the family (72.5% vs. 41.7%, P=0.001), while girls had significantly higher rates of conflicts with the parents and other family members (21.4% vs. 5%, P=0.02). CONCLUSION: Somatoform disorders, particularly conversion disorder is commoner in girls. Important stressors are poor inter-personal relations and communication problems within the family in boys, and conflicts with family members among girls.

Afasia global sem hemiparesia: AVC ou transtorno conversivo? / Global aphasia without hemiparesis: stroke or conversion disorder?

CONTEXTO: A realização de diagnóstico neurológico e psiquiátrico em ambiente de emergência hospitalar com freqüência é uma tarefa complexa e exige colaboração interdisciplinar. Um dos diagnósticos diferenciais de doenças neurológicas é o transtorno conversivo, cuja característica principal é a presença de sintomas afetando funções motoras ou sensoriais, que sugerem desordem clínica ou neurológica, porém sem doença orgânica subjacente que explique o quadro. RELATO DE CASO: Os autores relatam o caso de uma paciente de 23 anos com apresentação clínica atípica de acidente vascular cerebral, afasia global sem hemiparesia, que foi inicialmente diagnosticada como transtorno psiquiátrico pelo serviço de clínica médica de emergência. CONCLUSÃO: Certas apresentações neurológicas podem ser interpretadas como transtorno conversivo pelas similaridades clínicas entre as duas desordens, raridade do quadro clínico, pela presença de sintomatologia psiquiátrica e fatores psicossociais nos pacientes neurológicos. Mesmo com apresentações neurológicas atípicas e sintomas psiquiátricos, pacientes com quadro sugestivo de transtorno conversivo devem ser sempre investigados de forma interdisciplinar.

BACKGROUND: The neurologic and psychiatric diagnosis in emergency settings are difficult tasks and require interdisciplinary effort. Conversion disorder is one of the differential diagnosis for certain neurologic disorders. The main characteristic is motor or sensory deficits suggesting neurologic or medical condition, but without organic disease that explains the symptoms. CASE REPORT: We present a 23 year-old-woman with an atypical clinical presentation of stroke: global aphasia without hemiparesis. This patient was initially diagnosed with conversion disorder by the internal medicine service in the emergency room. CONCLUSION: Some rare neurologic diseases can be interpreted as conversive disorders due to some reasons: clinical similarities between the two disorders, unusual clinical presentations, comorbidity of neurologic and psychiatric disorders and psychological features of the neurological patients. Patients presenting with atypical neurological or psychiatric symptoms, in which a diagnosis of conversion disorder is suspected, should always be investigated in an interdisciplinary setting.

Usos y abusos en el diagnóstico de los trastornos psicogénicos del movimiento / Use and abuse in the diagnosis of psychogenic movement disorders

En los últimos años pareciera haber sido redescubierta la posibilidad de que los movimientos involuntarios anormales constituyan un síntoma de la histeria de conversión. Se constata un movimiento pendular nuevamente; los trastornos psicogénicos del movimiento parecen estar siendo sobrediagnosticados, a pesar de su relativa rareza. Esta tendencia puede ser explicada de diversas maneras. En primer lugar, por la misma naturaleza de los trastornos del movimiento en general, los cuales a menudo presentan apariencias extrañas o patrones poco habituales que pueden sorprender incluso al especialista experimentado. En segundo término, debido a que el diagnóstico de los trastornos del movimiento es principalmente fenomenológico, se tiende a considerar los casos raros o bizarros como psicogénicos, reviviendo ciertamente antiguas tendencias de la neurología clínica. Más aún, actualmente los neurólogos jóvenes están mal entrenados para reconocer la histeria, pudiendo fácilmente aplicar este diagnóstico a síntomas esotéricos o entendidos pobremente, especialmente si coexisten con perturbaciones psiquiátricas. Los criterios diagnósticos actuales que incluyen conceptos tales como trastornos del movimiento establecidos clínicamente, documentados, probables y posibles, reflejan bien estas dificultades diagnósticas pero son difíciles de recordar, poco prácticas e incluso engañosas. Claves que permiten sospechar un trastorno psicogénico subyacente son el comienzo abrupto, los eventos vitales concomitantes, la litigación, la inconsistencia de síntomas y la asociación con incapacidades pseudoneurológicas, tales como la debilidad y pérdida sensorial. Sin embargo, sólo se puede efectuar un diagnóstico definitivo cuando: 1) El movimiento anormal en cuestión aparece fenomenológicamente incompatible con el trastorno del movimiento que puede simular. El examen electrofisiológico puede ayudar en el temblor, en los síndromes de sobresalto y en la mioclonía pero no sirve en la distonía y el parkinsonismo. 2) Es posible revertir consistentemente el movimiento a través de la administración de placebo bien planeada. Se debe admitir que persistirá un cierto grado de incertidumbre en algunos casos (probables o posibles), en los cuales estos prerrequisitos puaden no ser factibles. Sin embargo, la sospecha -aunque imposible de probar- de una causa o refuerzo psicogénico de síntomas, aún en cuadros orgánicos, no es patrimonio exclusivo de los trastornos del movimiento

"Quejas" somáticas debidas a patología psiquiatrica / Somatic complaints due to psychiatric pathology

La somatización es un trastorno en el cual el paciente se presenta en la consulta a través de "quejas somáticas" que no tienen sustrato orgánico y en el que se piensa que los factores psicológicos juegan un papel relevante. La preocupación e investigación en torno al tema han ido en aumento dadas las evidencias que muestra la elevada frecuencia del trastorno (una de cada cuatro consultas médicas), a lo que deben agregarse los altos costos personales, sociales y de los servicios de salud que aquellos conllevan. El presente artículo está dirigido a los médicos generales y especialistas no psiquiatras que son quienes reciben y asisten a estos pacientes. Desarrolla los conceptos psiquiátricos básicos sobre las somatizaciones y los trastornos psiquiátricos que las determinan, brindando los conocimientos necesarios para un adecuado abordaje y manejo desde su práctica médica general, y lograr así minimizar la alta morbimortalidad del trastono

Bella indiferencia en la histeria de conversión / Belle indiference in conversion hysteria

La bella indiferencia es un término introducido por Pierre Janet para caracterizar la falta de preocupación exibida por los pacientes histéricos frente a profunda disfunción corporal. Una vez que se ha resuelto el conflicto y que se ha aliviado la angustia por medio de la conversión de los impulsos y deseos reprimidos en un sistema funcional, aparece una calma exterior, aun cuando el síntoma producido sea tan invalidante que en otras personas provocaría probablemente una gran preocupación.El objetivo del presente trabajo es determinar si la bella indiferencia tiene valor clínico, diagnóstico y pronóstico en la evolución de los pacientes histéricos. Se analiza una casuística de 347 pacientes, 116 hombres y 231 mujeres examinados en el Servicio de Neurología del Hospital del Salvador y en la Consulta Privada en el período comprendido entre 1962 y 1995. Comprobamos que la bella indiferencia se presenta en 20,7 por ciento de los pacientes y predomina en el sexo femenino. Se presenta con mayor frecuencia en jóvenes de 20-25 años y especialmente en fenómenos conversivos de tipo motor y sensorial y no se presentó en trastornos sensitivos, esfinterianos, ni tróficos.Creemos que la bella indiferencia tiene escaso valor diagnóstico y pronóstico, ya que en la evolución de la mayor parte de los pacientes no hubo recaídas ni se presentó nuevamente, de tal forma que es un síntoma que desaparece y se transforma en un síntoma de preocupación por su enfermedad más que indiferencia

Psicopatología de un caso de tumor cerebral: diagnóstico diferencial con la histeria / Psychopathology of a cerebral tumor clinical case: differential diagnosis with hysteria

Se presenta el caso de una paciente diagnosticada inicialmente como Histeria de conversión, que en estudios posteriores mostró la presencia de un tumor del SNC