Hydrocephalus and Psychiatric Disorders: About a Clinical Case

Abstract

Introduction

Hydrocephalus is a neurological disease caused by excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid following an abnormal secretion, circulation and absorption. It is considered the most common reversible cause of dementia but still an underestimated cause of psychiatric disorders.

Objectives

Highlighting the possible association of hydrocephalus in some psychiatric disorders and know how to adapt the management of this co-morbidity.

Clinical Vignette

He is Mr O.Y, aged 27, unmarried, his parents divorced, lives with his mother. He had surgery in 2012 to the orthopedic service for disabling scoliosis. No significant psychiatric family history. Discovery of a tri ventricular hydrocephalus in 2011 requiring regular monitoring neurology.

Indeed Mr O.Y followed the CMP for a mood disorder requiring antidepressant treatment based. The evolution of disorder was marked by the installation of a hallucinatory and delusional syndrome motivating several hospitalizations and relapses iterative partial response to various therapies.

Mr O.Y was received a ventricular shunt within the sound hydrocephalus.

The postoperative course was marked a progressive amendment acoustic verbal hallucinations and delusions of persecution.

The conduct was to gradually reduce the dose of antipsychotic (Risperdal) to the stop. No recurrence pathological productions.

Conclusions

Psychiatric disorders may mark the evolution of hydrocephalus. Share against the indications and side effects of some psychotropic drugs, the management of this co-morbidity may be difficult. Further studies are needed to better elucidate causality for this association and to develop appropriate therapeutic consensus.

Disclosure of interest

The author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.