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Is collectionism a diagnostic clue for Diogenes syndrome?
Manuel Montero-Odasso1, Marcelo Schapira, Gustavo Duque
1Geriatric Assessment Unit (EFA) and Geriatric Medicine Program, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina. manuel.montero@hospitalitaliano.org.ar
Background:
Diogenes syndrome (DS) is characterized by extreme self-neglect, domestic squalor, and social withdrawal. Despite having been described decades ago, it is still difficult to persue a correct diagnosis in primary care clinics.
Methods:
This paper reports a case of an elderly man with extreme self neglect and an abnormal collecting pattern whose condition remained undetected for many years. His collectionism was manifested with a tendency to store items in an organized manner but without a clear purpose.
Conclusion:
The authors suggest that the presence of collectionism could be a helpful clue towards diagnosis of DS in similar cases.
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