Observations placeholder
Chemotherapy-induced acute psychosis in a patient with malignant germ cell tumour
Identifier
027422
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
BMJ Case Rep. 2015; 2015: bcr2014208982.
Published online 2015 Apr 9. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2014-208982
PMCID: PMC4401927
PMID: 25858936
Case Report
Chemotherapy-induced acute psychosis in a patient with malignant germ cell tumour
Umamon Puangthong1 and Krit Pongpirul2,3
Abstract
A 25-year-old Thai woman with ovarian germ cell tumour presented with behavioural changes after receiving an intensive dose of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin, for a relapse. Her initial symptoms of mood fluctuation and insomnia were noticed while hospitalised for the third cycle, and became more severe. She was very irritable, highly distracted and forgetful. She exhibited flights of ideas and hyperactivity, including compulsive shopping. She also had paranoid ideations, auditory hallucinations, and thoughts of being wealthy and close to the prime minister. She was not depressed. She was diagnosed with axis I psychotic disorder not otherwise specified. The incremental dosage of olanzapine from 5 to 20 mg/day was given but failed to control her psychotic symptoms during the first week, and was therefore switched to risperidone. At 4 mg/day, her symptoms were dramatically controlled. This novel evidence suggests the rare possibility of an association between chemotherapy and the development of psychotic attacks.