Psychiatric symptoms as a presentation of central nervous system involvement in Chagas disease, a case report

Abstract

Introduction

Psychiatric symptoms set forth brain dysfunction at several levels. Behavioral disturbances, although frequently associated to primary psychiatric disorders, call for a previous discard of neurologic treatable causes.

Case report

We report the case of a 30-year-old gentleman, receiving outpatient psychological treatment and follow-up for a 3-month history of low mood, abulia, apathy, generalized malaise, weight loss and insomnia. Non-structured jealous delusions were also present. No neurological deficit was found. After CT of the brain, a space occupying lesion, suggestive of glioblastoma multiforme, was found. Further studies, including biopsy and a MR, led to the diagnosis of central nervous system Chagas, related to a previously unknown HIV infection in AIDS status, and conditioning a secondary central hipothyroidism. Careful treatment of the etiological factors, along with symptomatic relieve with low dose paliperidone, led to the resolution of the symptoms.

Discussion

The majority of patients suffering from neurologic diseases develop psychiatric symptoms over the course of their illness, with or without the presence of classical disturbances, such as weakness, sensory loss or seizures. Modern psychiatry uses a complex disease model, therefore necessarily integrating anatomy, biochemistry and function during every diagnostic approach.

Conclusion

It is necessary to rule out frequent treatable causes, thus involving both psychopatological and neuroscientific approach to psychiatric disturbances. However, while underlying causes are often difficult to treat, psychiatric symptoms respond to existing pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.