Co-existence of the Capgras and Ekbom syndromes. 1984

J A McLaughlin, and A Sims

A case is described in which a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia was made using the criteria of Schneiderian first-rank symptoms. The patient showed the Capgras syndrome, with delusional misidentification of her son and other people in her environment, and also Ekbom's syndrome, with the delusion that she was infested with parasitic worms which migrated between various parts of her body. In this case, the two syndromes are descriptions of a specific delusional content, and occur as part of the psychopathology within a schizophrenic disorder, rather than as distinct disease entities.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D011618 Psychotic Disorders Disorders in which there is a loss of ego boundaries or a gross impairment in reality testing with delusions or prominent hallucinations. (From DSM-IV, 1994) Psychoses,Psychosis, Brief Reactive,Schizoaffective Disorder,Schizophreniform Disorders,Psychosis,Brief Reactive Psychoses,Brief Reactive Psychosis,Disorder, Psychotic,Disorder, Schizoaffective,Disorder, Schizophreniform,Disorders, Psychotic,Disorders, Schizoaffective,Disorders, Schizophreniform,Psychoses, Brief Reactive,Psychotic Disorder,Reactive Psychoses, Brief,Reactive Psychosis, Brief,Schizoaffective Disorders,Schizophreniform Disorder
D012148 Restless Legs Syndrome A disorder characterized by aching or burning sensations in the lower and rarely the upper extremities that occur prior to sleep or may awaken the patient from sleep. Restless Leg Syndrome,Restless Legs,Willis Ekbom Disease,Willis Ekbom Syndrome,Willis-Ekbom Disease,Willis-Ekbom Syndrome,Wittmaack Ekbom Syndrome,Wittmaack-Ekbom Syndrome,Disease, Willis Ekbom,Disease, Willis-Ekbom,Syndrome, Restless Leg,Syndrome, Willis Ekbom,Syndrome, Willis-Ekbom,Syndrome, Wittmaack Ekbom,Syndrome, Wittmaack-Ekbom
D002194 Capgras Syndrome A psychotic disorder characterized by the patient's belief that acquaintances or closely related persons have been replaced by doubles or imposters. Syndrome, Capgras
D003702 Delusions A false belief regarding the self or persons or objects outside the self that persists despite the facts, and is not considered tenable by one's associates. Delusion
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012563 Schizophrenia, Paranoid A chronic form of schizophrenia characterized primarily by the presence of persecutory or grandiose delusions, often associated with hallucination. Delusional Disorder,Paranoid Schizophrenia,Delusional Disorders,Disorder, Delusional,Disorders, Delusional,Paranoid Schizophrenias,Schizophrenias, Paranoid

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