We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
To save content items to your account,
please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies.
If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account.
Find out more about saving content to .
To save content items to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected]
is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings
on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part
of your Kindle email address below.
Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations.
‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi.
‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Pseudocyesis and Delusion of Pregnancy are often conflated. Both presentations are associated with false beliefs of pregnancy in patients who are not pregnant. Pseudocyesis is associated with physiological changes of pregnancy such as amenorrhea, galactorrhea, abdominal distention, and hyperprolactinemia. Delusion of Pregnancy is not associated with physiological signs/changes. We describe a case to demonstrate the phenomenological and physiological differences between these entities and how these influence treatment considerations.
Objectives
1.Phenomenology of Pseudocyesis vs Delusion of Pregnancy 2.Elucidate the physiological underpinnings of both 3.Treatment considerations
Methods
Comprehensive literature review following a 29-year-old-female with no known psychiatric history presenting to the emergency department with mixed complaints of twin-pregnancy, menorrhagia, and concern for threatened abortion. Psychiatry was consulted for decisional capacity to leave against-medical-advice due to concerns for ectopic pregnancy. Patient reported a recent ultrasound with fetal heartbeat and sensation of fetal “kicks”. She was concerned the menorrhagia was threatening her pregnancy. The patient appeared irritable, paranoid, endorsed ideas of reference and a fixed false belief that she was pregnant with twins, despite quantitative HCG, abdominal and transvaginal ultrasounds being negative. On examination, while there was vaginal bleeding, there were no stigmata of pregnancy.
Results
Diagnosis- Delusion of Pregnancy.
Conclusions
Delusion of Pregnancy have been associated with polythematic content. Pseudocyesis may be confounded by conditions such as abdominal neoplasms, leiomyoma, and endocrinologic changes (eg- hyperprolactinemia). Potent D2R antagonists carry increased risk of hyperprolactinemia and subsequent galactorrhea which may paradoxically exacerbate misattributions of pregnancy. Careful consideration of psychotropic choice is therefore needed in the management of these conditions.
A delusion of pregnancy in men has been rarely reported in psychiatric disorders. The literature on this delusion in male schizophrenia is limited. It was reported especially in medical conditions. In psychiatric disorders, it has been explained for a long time by psychodynamic theories.
Objectives
To present a case of a pregnancy delusion in man associated temporally to neuroleptic-induced hyperprolactinemia and a review of literature of medical and psychological etiologies of this symptom
Methods
We presented a case of a pregnancy delusion in man associated temporally to neuroleptic-induced hyperprolactinemia and we elucidated through a review of literature of medical and psychological etiologies of this symptom.
Results
Case report A 46-year-old man, unmarried, who had a mild intellectual disability and a 22-year history of schizophrenia. He was admitted to our hospital for psychotic relapse due to the interruption of his medication. This patient had been treated for years with long action injection medication. On admission he was disorganized, verbalizing a poorly-systematized fuzzy delirium. And he believed he was pregnant. Serum prolactin levels was 38 ng/ml (3-25ng/ml). He was put on Haldol decanoate 150mg/month, chlorpromazine 150mg/day, and diazepam 15mg/day.
Conclusions
The presentation of a delusion of pregnancy in man is rather infrequent. The delusion may have many social, psychological, and biological determinants to its genesis. This case highlights the importance of medical investigations notably the assay of prolactin in the assessment of patients who present with delusions of pregnancy.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
Recommend this
Email your librarian or administrator to recommend adding this to your organisation's collection.