Original

Psychogenic pathology in the neurology unit. A review of the hospital admissions over the last 10 years in a third-level service

C. de la Cruz-Cosme, G. Barbieri, E. Avanesi-Molina, M. Romero-Acebal [REV NEUROL 2011;53:649-656] PMID: 22086426 DOI: https://doi.org/10.33588/rn.5311.2011431

OPEN ACCESS

Volumen 53 | Number 11 | Nº of views of the article 8.149 | Nº of PDF downloads 447 | Article publication date 01/12/2011

Download PDF Castellano Citation Search in PubMed

Share in:

Go to another issue

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION Psychogenic disorders are frequently seen in neurological practice and sometimes make it necessary to hospitalise the patient in order to rule out a potentially severe organic pathology.

AIM To determine the profile of patients with a discharge diagnosis of psychogenic disorder that are admitted to the neurology unit of a Spanish hospital.

PATIENTS AND METHODS The neurology unit discharge abstracts from the last 10 years were reviewed and the patients who were diagnosed with ‘non-organicity’ were selected; a total of 28 demographic, epidemiological and clinical variables were also collected.

RESULTS A total of 64 patients (1% of those admitted to hospital), with a mean age of 40 years, had a diagnosis of psychogenicity. The proportion between sexes was one to one and the mean length of stay in hospital was 10 days. Mixed symptoms were the most usual (50%), followed by isolated motor symptoms (22%). Most cases consisted of possible neurological diagnoses of ischaemic stroke and demyelinating disease. Only 25% of cases consulted psychiatry during hospitalisation. In 11% of cases there was a later history of suicide attempts and in eight cases (12.5%) an ambulatory diagnosis of organicity was reached thanks to the developmental follow-up (‘error’ in the provisional diagnosis on discharge).

CONCLUSIONS This study traces, for the first time in our setting, the profile of the psychogenic patient who is admitted to the neurology unit and examines their hospital management and their outpatient follow-up. We highlight the need not to underestimate this pathological condition and to generate an ordered way of managing it, which should always be multidisciplinary with the leading roles played by the neurologist and the psychiatrist. KeywordsConversion Conversion disorders Conversion reaction Hysteria Psychogenic Somatoform disorders

FULL TEXT (solo disponible en lengua castellana / Only available in Spanish)

Acceso directo al último número

Último Podcast

Original

Psychogenic pathology in the neurology unit. A review of the hospital admissions over the last 10 years in a third-level service

¡CONVIÉRTASE EN USUARIO PREMIUM DE NEUROLOGIA.COM!

Al hacerse premium, está apoyándonos para que Revista de Neurología siga siendo uno de los referentes de habla hispana en la difusión del conocimiento en neurociencias. ¡Gratuita tanto para autores como para todos los usuarios de la web!