Hoarding disorders: Two different clinical presentations

Abstract

Introduction

Hoarding disorders (HD) have increasingly become a public health hazard. It usually emerges during two broad life periods: in early age-of-onset is usually associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); in the elderly, it can be due to psychiatric and organic disorders, unrelated to OCD.

Objectives

Our objective is to increase medical awareness and to highlight that both young and elderly people may suffer from this condition.

Aims

The aim of this presentation is to address HD and its different presentations.

Methods

Presentation of two clinical cases of HD and pathology revision.

Results

A 30-year-old woman was hoarding litter, food and several items in a systematic way, become aggressive when her family tried to clean the house and was admitted several times in a psychiatric facility for cleanliness of her house. She had a history of depressive symptoms and severe OCD, with obsessive thoughts and several verification behaviors. A 78-year-old woman, with history of cerebral vascular disease, was self-neglected, living in a filthy home, with hoarding of litter and many worthless objects in a disorganized way, become aggressive after her relatives try to enter her house and refused to get help of any kind. Later on, she was admitted in a psychiatric facility and diagnosed with vascular dementia.

Conclusions

Timely diagnosis and proper management of these two variations of HD will allow more advanced studies in this matter and more effective pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments. These clinical cases reinforce the importance of practical guidelines for appropriate approach of these patients with complex and multidimensional needs.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.