[Post-traumatic stress disorder and delusions. A case report]

The present paper initially discusses the possible transitions existing between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and delusional disorder. With respect to the latter, the main focus is on the psychopathological concept of the so-called sensitive delusion of reference. A patient who developed a delusional disorder secondary to PTSD, which had been precipitated by his involvement in a serious auto accident, is then described. The details of this case seem to lend some support to the hypothesis of a clinical continuum provided that the "trauma" found in PTSD, on the one hand, and the "crucial experience" associated with the sensitive delusion of reference, on the other, positively correlate with the presence of prominent sensitive traits of personality.