Affiliations: Departamento de Psiquiatria e Medicina Legal and
Instituto de Psiquiatria, Programa de Ansiedade e Depressão,
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil | Departamento de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental,
Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brasil | Instituto D'Or de Pesquisa e Ensino (IDOR), Rio de
Janeiro, RJ, Brasil | Serviço de Neurologia, Universidade Federal
Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brasil | Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas,
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
Note: [] Corresponding author: Leonardo F. Fontenelle, Av. Venceslau
Brás 71, Fundos, CEP: 22290-140; Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Tel.: +55
21 3873 5540 e 3873 5507; Fax: +55 21 2543 3101; E-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: Although the prevalence of neuropsychiatric disorders among patients
with cerebrovascular illness is relatively high, there are only few case
reports describing post-stroke psychotic symptoms. In general, post-stroke
psychoses have been reported to emerge few days after the vascular event and to
vanish soon afterwards. In this report, we describe delayed-onset post-stroke
delusional disorder, persecutory type. A middle-aged female patient developed a
persistent delusional disorder with homicidal behavior about one year after a
cerebrovascular accident affecting the right fronto-temporo-parietal region and
a long period of chronic post-stroke mixed anxiety and depressive symptoms. Our
case suggests that there might be long intervals between stroke and the
appearance of psychotic symptoms.
