[Kleptomania: an irresistible impulse]

This review presents the historical-epidemiological and clinical aspects of Kleptomania. The diagnostic criteria, on the basis of which it is categorized in the group of Impulse Control Disorders, are defined precisely. All the aspects of its causative pathogenesis are deeply analyzed, as they are projected through its phenomenological, psychoanalytical and psycho-biological approach. Particular emphasis is given on its differential diagnosis from other psycho-pathological conditions and especially from the co-morbidities that often accompany it. The frame of treatment is established and its course and the final outcome are analyzed. Finally, it is determined what should be the objectives of future research, which will contribute decisively to the ascertainment of the exact incidence of Kleptomania in the general population, to the clarification of its causative pathogenesis and especially to the most effective treatment of this serious mental disorder.