Un caso de parafrenia. Atención por parte de un equipo de psiquiatría de enlace

Abstract

Objective: In reference to a case of hallucinatory psychosis in an elderly individual treated by the Liaison Psychiatry Team, we will conduct a historical review of the term paraphrenia, linking it to the characteristics of this condition, its treatment, and progression.

Clinical Case: A nonagenarian woman admitted to the Internal Medicine service due to behavioral disturbances of several months' duration. She presents delusional ideas of persecution and visual and auditory hallucinations. There is no history of mental health issues or cognitive impairment. Relevant comorbidities include lumbar canal stenosis and moderate hearing loss.

Results: Additional tests ruled out brain damage, toxic psychosis, neurodegenerative disorders, and delirium. With the approach and follow-up conducted (including antipsychotic treatment), the patient showed sustained behavioral improvement and partial encapsulation of the delusion.

Conclusions: Although paraphrenia is not recognized as a distinct entity in current diagnostic classifications, there are cases that warrant consideration; patients with a well-systematized delusion, onset in late age, and bizarre perceptual phenomena of a unique pathoplasty.