Frontotemporal Dementia and Mania: The Difficulties of the Differential Diagnosis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51338/rppsm.394Keywords:
Bipolar Disorder, Frontotemporal Dementia/diagnosis, Frontotemporal Dementia/diagnostic imaging, Mania, Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-PhotonAbstract
The clinical presentation of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) can prompt an erroneous diagnosis of mania. With this in mind, and starting from a case report, the authors aim to describe the diagnostic difficulties between these two entities. A 54-year-old male was admitted with euphoric mood, hyperfamiliarity, sexual disinhibition, aggressive behaviours and persecutory delusions. A similar clinical presentation had motivated a previous admission in a psychiatric ward six months earlier. The mood was a manifestation of Moria of Jastrowitz, associated with frontal lobe lesions. Single- -photon emission tomography (SPECT) showed areas of hypoperfusion in both frontal lobes and in the left temporal lobe.
In our patient, the presence of Moria was interpreted as euphoric mood leading to the diagnosis of a maniac episode. Further investigation revealed it was actually a FTD. Knowledge of the differences in presentation can provide precious clues to a correct diagnosis.
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