ABSTRACT
Somatic delusional disorder is an uncommon psychiatric disorder that has been typically reported in elderly women. This article reviews the literature and describes a Saudi female patient who presented with novel somatic delusion of turabosis--the conviction that she was continually being covered by sand from sandstorms. Although the systematized delusional convictions remained unshakable, her anxiety and mood symptoms responded to a regimen of tricyclic antidepressants and her delusional beliefs resolved within eight weeks of treatment with risperidone. Sociocultural themes and therapeutic approaches to somatic delusional disorder are discussed.
Subject(s)
Arabs/psychology , Delusions/ethnology , Silicon Dioxide , Somatoform Disorders/ethnology , Aged , Culture , Delusions/diagnosis , Delusions/drug therapy , Delusions/psychology , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Personality Assessment , Pruritus/ethnology , Pruritus/psychology , Risperidone/therapeutic use , Saudi Arabia , Somatoform Disorders/diagnosis , Somatoform Disorders/drug therapy , Somatoform Disorders/psychology , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Pervasive developmental disorders are severe childhood psychiatric disorders that afflict millions of children worldwide. Despite availability of tremendous data on these disorders, there is a paucity of information among clinicians including mental health professionals. Pervasive developmental disorders, caused by multiple neurobiological and environmental etiologies, are characterized mainly by impaired social interactions, impaired communication and language, and abnormal repetitive interests and behaviors. A clear understanding of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of pervasive developmental disorders requires routine developmental surveillance, extensive clinical diagnostic workup and laboratory investigations. The children with pervasive developmental disorders need a multimodal treatment approach. In Arabian Gulf countries, research is warranted to explore different aspects of these disorders.
ABSTRACT
Monitoring of adverse events following the administration of MMR vaccine containing the Urabe mumps virus vaccine strain, to over 2 million schoolchildren (aged 6-13 years) revealed that the incidence of vaccine-associated aseptic meningitis was one case per 295 000 doses given. About 92 per cent of these children had had their primary immunization against MMR at 12 months of age and, therefore, were probably not immunologically naïve. It appears from our data that the use of the Urabe-based mumps vaccine in the booster-dose format induces much less adverse effects than usually observed following the primary immunization with it. Further studies are needed to prove this conclusively.