[Differential depression and organic disorder diagnosis and their possible treatments]

This paper deals with an important differential diagnosis of depression. While mood disorders are more and more subclassified in present days, the clinically very similar psychopathological pictures, produced by "disturbances due to a general medical condition" (DSM-IV) evokes less and less interest. Misdiagnosis may lead to antidepressant therapy, which will not be well tolerated by the patient. Therefore the symptomatology of acute and chronic, diffuse and localized brain disturbances is outlined for easy clinical use.