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ABSTRACT____________________________________________________________________________________________________
A pathology that raises interest in the field of psychiatry, schizophrenia has suffered, throughout time, numerous modifications concerning taxonomy,
diagnostic criteria and treatment. Even though in DSM 4 a new, longitudinal, approach of schizophrenia is presented, there still exist difficulties and
contradictions in formulating a diagnosis.
We present the case of a 14 year old patient, diagnosed with hebephrenic schizophrenia in March 2015 and which, currently, isn’t undergoing any anti-
psychotic treatment due to low treatment compliance and the use of alternative therapies, for the last 2 months. The disease had an insidious onset, for
the last approximately 4 years, with social withdrawal and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, anxiety, for which a treatment with Haloperidol was initiated.
Subsequently, the symptomatology escalated, with hallucinatory behavior, disorganised behavior, aggression and affective symptoms, for which reason we
decided to replace the neuroleptic with an atypical antipsychotic – quetiapine, with a slow improvement of the clinical symptoms. However, the parents
decided to slowly decrease the doses of the specific medication, against medical recommendations, the patient becoming catatonic, subsequent to interrup-
ting medication.
The particularity of the case is represented by the late psychiatric intervention, the low compliance to treatment and the polymorphism of symptoms,
against antipsychotic treatment.
Key words: hebephrenic schizophrenia, quetiapine, hallucinatory behavior, aggression
Introducere:
Dacă în DSM IV-TR, ideile delirante și cu prezența ideilor delirante, halucinațiilor (de orice
halucinațiile auditive au fost punctul central al tip) și dezorganizării ideo-verbale. Totodată, au fost
diagnosticului, în DSM 5 acest lucru a fost înlocuit eliminate subtipurile de schizofrenie, preferându-se o
1
Medic rezident Psihiatrie Pediatrică, Clinica de Psihiatrie Pediatrică și Toxico- 1
MD Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Trainee, Child and Adolescent Psychia-
manie, Spitalul Clinic de Urgență pentru Copii, Cluj-Napoca try and Addiction Clinic – Children’s Emergency Hospital, Cluj-Napoca
2
Medic rezident Psihiatrie Pediatrică, Clinica de Psihiatrie Pediatrică și 2
MD Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Trainee, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Toxicomanie, Spitalul Clinic de Urgență pentru Copii, Cluj-Napoca and Addiction Clinic – Children’s Emergency Hospital, Cluj-Napoca
3
Medic primar Psihiatrie, Șef Secție Clinica de Psihiatrie Pediatrică, Doctor în 3
Lect. MD, Consultant, Head of Department – Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Științe Medicale, Conferențiar UMF Cluj-Napoca Clinic, PhD, Associate professor UMF Cluj-Napoca
Adresa: Str. Ospătăriei FN, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, România Address: Str. Ospătăriei FN, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, România
Telefon / fax: 0264 428 491 Phone no/fax: 0264/428 491
E-mail-ul autorilor: toma_roxanaelena@yahoo.com, andra.isac@yahoo.co.uk, Authors email: toma_roxanaelena@yahoo.com, andra.isac@yahoo.co.uk,
violupu14@yahoo.com violupu14@yahoo.com
* Autor de Corespondență: Dr. Isac Andra * Correspondence author: MD Isac Andra
e-mail: andra.isac@yahoo.co.uk e-mail: andra.isac@yahoo.co.uk
Revista de Neurologie şi Psihiatrie a Copilului şi Adolescentului din România –Decembrie 2015 – vol. 21 – nr. 4 85
Roxana Ferezan și colab. • Dificultăți de diagnostic și tratament în schizofrenia hebefrenică PREZENTĂRI DE CAZ
86 Revista de Neurologie şi Psihiatrie a Copilului şi Adolescentului din România Decembrie 2015 – vol. 21 – nr. 4
PREZENTĂRI DE CAZ Dificultăți de diagnostic și tratament în schizofrenia hebefrenică • Roxana Ferezan și colab.
Revista de Neurologie şi Psihiatrie a Copilului şi Adolescentului din România –Decembrie 2015 – vol. 21 – nr. 4 87
Roxana Ferezan și colab. • Dificultăți de diagnostic și tratament în schizofrenia hebefrenică PREZENTĂRI DE CAZ
88 Revista de Neurologie şi Psihiatrie a Copilului şi Adolescentului din România Decembrie 2015 – vol. 21 – nr. 4
CASE REPORTS Diagnostic and Treatment Difficulties in Hebephrenic Schizophrenia • Roxana Ferezan and all
*
* *
Introduction:
If in DSM IV-TR, delusions and auditory HLA-DR 8. Family studies have shown the presence
hallucinations were the basis for diagnostic, in DSM of the risk to develop the disorder for the first degree
5 this was replaced with the presence of delusions, relatives of patients with schizophrenia [2].
hallucinations (of any type) and speech disorganization. Therapeutic options are numerous for this
Simultaneously, the subtypes of schizophrenia were pathology, but current legislation does not allow the
eliminated, a longitudinal, homogenous approach of use of certain drugs for children with the age under 13
symptomatology being preferred, although there still – 15 years. With adequate treatment, the evolution of
are major difficulties in establishing a diagnostic of symptoms may be favorable, with the disappearance
schizophrenia. of negative and positive symptoms and reintegration
Schizophrenia with the onset under 13 years in society and family, with a good quality of life.
(very-early onset) usually manifests itself through Without treatment or in the case of low compliance,
anxiety, repetitive behavior, difficulties in relationships with frequent adjustments to the therapeutic regimen,
with equals and maintaining friendships, speech contrary to medical counsel, or using alternative,
impairment, neglect of personal hygiene and sudden nonspecific and unauthorized therapies, the evolution
mood swings. These lead to a severe and precocious is unfavorable, with aggravation of symptoms,
cognitive degradation, unlike schizophrenia with consequently, with a significant degradation in
onset in adolescence or adulthood. the quality of life, with major difficulties in social
Concerning etiopathogeny, the discussions are reintegration, making it even impossible.
very extensive, with a focus on the genetic component, In the case we presented, we preferred to maintain
the heritability of schizophrenia, the imbalance of the diagnostic of hebephrenic schizophrenia,
neurotransmitters, premorbid personality and the according to ICD-10 (F20.1) criteria, to underline the
stress of the mother during pregnancy [1]. Frequently, predominance of affective symptoms and behavioral
as trigger factors we find stress, emotional factors, disorganization, both of which the patient presented
psychotrauma, environmental changes, use of throughout time. Considering the catatonic behavior,
psychoactive substances. affirmative, according to her parents declarations, as
Brain imaging studies have mentioned a reduction they are refusing to bring the patient to the clinic, we
in the cerebral volume, the dilation of ventricles raise the issue of a new diagnostic with clinical and
due to the atrophy of the hippocampus and corpus treatment reevaluation of the patient.
callosum, changes in the thickness of the prefrontal The goal of this current presentation is to underline
dorsolateral cortex and the decrease in number and the diagnostic and treatment challenges faced by
function of oligodendroglia, although these changes clinicians in early forms of schizophrenia, especially
are not necessary or specific to schizophrenia in countries with limited resources in positive and
[2]. However, in patients with schizophrenia, a differential diagnosis and with laws that limit the
neuroanatomic dissociation in modulating the signals therapeutic act and access to treatment.
from the temporal cortex to the inferior frontal one
was observed [3]. Case presentation:
From a genetic point of view, a matching rate The patient presents herself for the first evaluation
was observed, substantially bigger in monozygotic in our service at the age of 11, brought by her parents,
twins as opposed to the dizygotic twins and several for the following psychopathological symptoms:
genes were highlighted as being associated with the disorganized behavior, marked social withdrawal,
risk of developing schizophrenia, out of these we stereotype, repetitive behavior, checking behavior,
mention: DISC 1 (disrupted in schizophrenia – 1), excessive personal hygiene, marked anxiety and
BDNF, neuregulin, the gene that codifies the COMT soliloquy. Affirmative, the symptoms had the onset
synthesis on the long arm of chromosome 22 and approximately 4 months before, when the patient was
Romanian Journal Child and Adolescent Neurology and Psychiatry September 2015 – vol. 21 – no. 4 89
Roxana Ferezan and all • Diagnostic and Treatment Difficulties in Hebephrenic Schizophrenia CASE REPORTS
criticized by her Math’s teacher. Her parents describe and fecal maters emissions, refusal of personal hygiene
her as being, from early childhood, withdrawn, and refusal to change her clothing, school refusal, self-
extremely tidy and adherent to routine, fearful, with aggression, affective inversion towards her parents,
difficulties in peer relationships and perfectionist. social withdrawal, coprolalia, checking behaviors,
Her school performance was extremely good, until soliloquy, suspiciousness, mannerisms, behavioral and
the conflict with the teacher, subsequently her school verbal stereotypies, flight of ideas, marked anxiety,
performance declining, appearing even the refusal to apathy, flattening of the affect and inversion of
go to school. circadian rhythm. Due to the disorganized behavior,
Right from the first presentation, we observed the the checking behavior and the unfounded laugh we
parents’ rigidity in accepting a psychiatric diagnostic took into consideration the presence of auditory and
and therapeutic recommendations, the conflictual visual hallucinations.
relationship between them and their high expectations Over the course of the examination, we observe
from the patient. how the mother forbids the patient to talk about her
We recommended 1 mg/day of Risperidone, conversations with the “clairvoyants” in her closet.
treatment that was followed for 7 months and then She is diagnosed with Hebephrenic Schizophrenia
interrupted due to high levels of prolactin. The and the treatment doses are gradually increased:
patient started treatment with Haloperidol 2mg/ml, Haloperidol 2 mg/ml to 22 drops/day, Carbamazepine
13 drops/day, with a favorable evolution of symptoms 400 mg/day, Diazepam 5 mg/day, Romparkin 3
for 4 months. mg/day, being released after one month with an
The treatment was stopped after a year, at the improvement in symptomatology.
parents’ initiative, and for the next two years, the She returns in emergency after two weeks due to
patient followed numerous alternative therapies and an accentuation of the symptoms described above.
psychological counselling, with the persistence of The diagnostic is maintained and doses are gradually
symptoms. increased: Haloperidol 2 mg/ml to 30 drops/day,
When she was 12 years old, after a neurological Carbamazepine 600 mg/day, Levomepromazine 50
consult she is diagnosed with Cognitive degradation mg/day, Romparkin 3 mg/day, without a response to
syndrome, and they recommend a psychiatric consult. treatment.
Following this, she receives a diagnostic of Discordant After her lab results, we decide to gradually
Syndrome and it is recommended that she should interrupt the treatment with Haloperidol 2 mg/ml
be admitted to our ward, but her parents refuse the and to start treatment with Quetiapine, in gradually
diagnostic and the admittance. increased dosage, up to 300 mg/day, with a very slow
At 13 years, in 2014, she returns as an emergency improvement. She is released with the following
in our clinic for: disorganized speech and behavior, treatment: Quetiapine 300 mg/day, Levomepromazine
soliloquy, physical aggression, agitation, social 75 mg/day, Carbamazepine 600 mg/day, Romparkin
withdrawal, stereotype behavior, suspiciousness, 3 mg/day, with an improved general state.
refusal of personal hygiene, onset insomnia, anhedonia, She returns for a follow-up after one month to
school refusal. She is diagnosed with Acute Psychotic repeat the routine laboratory investigations, needed to
Disorder and the treatment with Haloperidol 2 mg/ monitor the treatment with an atypical antipsychotic
ml is restarted at 12 drops/day, with Lorazepam 1 (complete blood count, glucose, lipid profile,
mg/day, Carbamazepine 200 mg/day, Romparkin 3 electrolytes, thyroid hormones, renal function, hepatic
mg/day being added to the treatment scheme, with an function, prolactin, sexual hormones), when the dose
improvement of the symptoms for a short period of for Quetiapine is raised to 400 mg/day.
time, with an accentuation of symptoms afterwards. After that she stops coming to follow-ups, only
The patient is released at her parents’ request. her parents returning in the clinic, which relate the
Affirmative, her parents continue to administer apparition of catatonic behavior (fixed posture in
the treatment at home, but the symptoms escalate, front of the door or wall, with fixed gaze, refusal of
returning in emergency in our clinic, in the spring nutrition and liquids, adopting peculiar positions in
of 20155. The patient is agitated, with marked the bed). Her parents refuse, repeatedly, to admit the
aggression, destruction of property, voluntary urine patient in our clinic or to bring her in for a consult,
90 Romanian Journal Child and Adolescent Neurology and Psychiatry September 2015 – vol. 21 – no. 4
CASE REPORTS Diagnostic and Treatment Difficulties in Hebephrenic Schizophrenia • Roxana Ferezan and all
relating, afterwards, that they have reduced the substances, metabolic diseases (dysfunctionalities
medication, eliminating it in the end. in the metabolism of serine and glycine [4], acute
We find out, from the parents, that they had intermittent porphyria, ornithine transcarbamylase
a consult, without bringing the patient to the deficit, maple syrup urine [5], congenital
medic, with an alternative medicine doctor, who hyperammonemia, deficits in homocysteine
recommended a homeopathic treatment, with an remethylation [6]), cerebral tumors, degenerative
aggravation in symptomatology. cerebral disorders, neurosyphilis, epilepsy [7].
From the patient’s history we retain the fact that Concerning the differential diagnosis with
her mother had an episode of postpartum depression psychiatric disorders, we considered: the obsessive-
that she doesn’t acknowledge, her paternal grandfather compulsive disorder, psychosis due to psychoactive
was a chronic drinker, and her paternal grandmother substances or allopathic/ homeopathic treatments
is described as “very rigid, dogmatist”. During her [8,9], posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders,
admittance to our ward, her father frequently visits autistic spectrum disorders, depressive disorder with
smelling of alcohol. psychotic symptoms, bipolar affective disorders,
Since her first presentation in our clinic, the schizoaffective disorder, dissociative disorders.
patient presents excessive pilosity on her limbs and We opted for a multimodal therapeutic
white line, excessively represented adipose tissue, approach, combining pharmacological treatment
superficial lesions on the dorsal side of her hands, post with psychosocial, psychoeducational and
scratching, with a slight stiffness in her joints. psychotherapeutic interventions. Thus, we counseled
For differential diagnosis and establishing the family regarding the diagnostic, means of
a positive diagnostic, the following laboratory treatment and treatment’s objectives, the evolution
investigations were requested: evaluating the and prognosis with and without treatment, the
basal metabolism, hepatic function, hormonal management of the patient’s disruptive behavior
evaluation with an endocrinology consult, brain and we have realized, together with the parents, a
imagery, abdominal echography, electrocardiogram, therapeutic plan, which the accepted initially, but
electroencephalogram, antibodies anti Bartonella and which they abandoned on the way.
anti Borellia, psychological evaluation. An increase An efficient familial reintegration of the patient
in the values of male sexual hormones was observed, was tried, the school reintegration was postponed
with low levels of female sexual hormones, high values for a year, due to the patient’s persistent refusal to
of triglycerides, eosinophilia, with negative values for get close to the school’s building and repeated tries
Bartonella and Borellia antibodies. were made to anchor her in reality. To facilitate
At the MRI exam the presence of an arachnoid social reintegration, one might use animal therapy,
cyst was observed, in the posterior fossa, on the occupational therapy, group psychotherapy. We
median line, measuring 15x13 mm, without changes have recommended family therapy and the patient’s
of edema in the adjacent cerebral parenchyma. The psychological counseling, without these indications to
FLAIR sequences do not show demyelination lesions be followed by the family.
or of cerebral edema. There are no displacements of Concerning pharmacological treatment, we do not
the structures of the median line. The ventricle system have the certainty that it was administered at home
is symmetric, non-dilated. according to the doctor’s recommendations and we
At her psychological evaluation she obtained cannot pronounce ourselves on its efficacy. We are
an IQ = 92 (average intelligence), obtaining higher taking into account, initially, a possible adjustment to
scores for verbal items comparatively to non-verbal the quetiapine doses, and, in the case of its’ inefficacy
items and a low capacity to concentrate. during 6-12 weeks, we are considering switching
to another atypical antipsychotic (olanzapine or
Discussions: aripiprazole), and, as a last resort, clozapine.
The differential diagnosis was made with: cerebral Although specialty literature recommends the
parasitosis, excluded by the brain imagery and the association of electroconvulsive therapy as a last
repeated immunological tests; intoxications with therapeutic mean in forms of schizophrenia resistant
lead and other heavy metals, use of psychoactive to treatment, the new treatment guidelines consider
Romanian Journal Child and Adolescent Neurology and Psychiatry September 2015 – vol. 21 – no. 4 91
Roxana Ferezan and all • Diagnostic and Treatment Difficulties in Hebephrenic Schizophrenia CASE REPORTS
this option obsolete, medically and ethically [7, 10, 11]. determined period of time, to a ward for monitoring
Taking into account the lack of treatment chronic patients.
compliance, the parents’ refusal to accept the diagnostic Currently, the prognosis in unfavorable due to
and the refusal to bring the patient for her follow-ups, the lack of specific psychiatric treatment, the patient
we are consider requesting the intervention of child undergoing only homeopathic treatment.
protection services and the patient’s admittance, for a
*
* *
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