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Hepatitis C treatment and erotomania.
Mauro García-Toro1, Angels Vilella, Margalida Gili
1Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Son Llatzer, 07198 Palma de Mallorca, Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB), Red de Investigación en, Actividades Preventivas y Promoción de la Salud (redIAPP), Spain. mauro.garcia@uib.es
General Hospital Psychiatry
|October 25, 2011
Summary
Antiviral therapy for hepatitis C can rarely cause psychosis, specifically erotomania. This case study shows successful treatment of drug-induced erotomania with antipsychotics, allowing continued antiviral therapy.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Hepatology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Hepatitis C infection is a significant global health concern.
- Antiviral therapies, including interferon and ribavirin, are standard treatments for hepatitis C.
- Psychotic side effects during antiviral treatment are rare and not well understood.
Observation:
- A patient developed erotomania, a delusion of being loved by a specific person, during interferon and ribavirin therapy for hepatitis C.
- The patient's delusion involved his physician, leading to stalking behavior and legal intervention.
- The onset of erotomanic symptoms occurred shortly after initiating antiviral treatment.
Findings:
- The patient's erotomania symptoms remitted upon the initiation of antipsychotic medication.
- Successful management of psychosis allowed the patient to continue and complete the antiviral treatment for hepatitis C.
- This case highlights a potential, albeit rare, psychiatric adverse effect of hepatitis C antiviral therapy.
Implications:
- Early recognition and management of drug-induced psychosis are crucial for patient safety and treatment adherence.
- Antipsychotic treatment can effectively manage erotomania in the context of antiviral therapy.
- Further research is needed to understand the neurobiological mechanisms underlying psychosis during hepatitis C treatment.
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