Related Experiment Videos
Erotomania associated with temporal lobe abnormalities following radiotherapy
C Wijeratne1, I Hickie, R Schwartz
1Department of Aged Care, St George Hospital, Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia.
Objective:
The aetiology of primary erotomania is usually discussed in terms of psychological disturbance in the patient. A case associated with demonstrable left temporal lobe abnormalities is described.
Clinical Picture:
An elderly female patient presented with the delusion of being loved by a physician who had treated her previously. She had received radiotherapy to her left periorbital area in childhood. Structural and functional neuroimaging revealed medial temporal lobe damage.
Treatment And Outcome:
She was treated with haloperidol with moderate improvement in her distress.
Conclusions:
This case illustrates the contribution of both cerebral injury and psychosocial factors in the eventual development of this unusual psychiatric syndrome.